Paul Cezanne Paul Cezanne lived to paint. He captured the essence of nature in his subjects, whether animate, artificial (still life), or natural (landscapes). He led a quite life of painting in order to discover and perfect the principles of composition and coloration. He did not paint according to criticism, but only according to his own philosophy and taste. The black line is the foundation of his composition. Contrasting colors complement the line drawing and give form to the figures. The colors are applied in patches, working from light to dark to retain the brilliance. Thus, the trunks of trees are light reddish-brown in a black outline cutting across a darker background of greens and reds. Cezanne also liked to blend his green or red with black to create dark shadows around and behind his objects, making a high contrast with the brightly colored foreground objects. Gauguin also used this style (although in a more two dimensional Asian style) being heavily influenced by Cezanne, as were many other post-impressionist painters. Cezanne uses line to define color, and color to define line. Many of his paintings are oriental in this regard. However Cezanne uses color as an equal rather than a subordinate element. He was the first to perfectly balance line and color. Cezanne is thus a also a natural water color artist. His style can work in almost any medium. Full Image Mark Harden's Cezanne Archive The First Impressionist Exibition, 1874

Photography Feature Trying to describe Kathmandu is like making a cross-section of sky and clouds, indefinable as the mysterious blue which hovers above our ancient memories, everchanging as the cloudforms advancing over the valley; dreams of dragonclaws dissolving like sugar in the oracular waters of oriental wisdom only to reform in great mushrooms of future holocaust. Endless cycles of Death and Rebirth figure everywhere in the storied pagodas, statues of Gods encrusted with orange puja powder or brass figures shining like mirrors from the million hands which do daily homage to the cosmic spirit. Kathmandu Portfolio + 1 Ira Cohen

Art News Feature The packed sale room at Christie's in New York gasped, cheered and finally burst into applause as a self-portrait painted by Vincent Van Gogh as a birthday present for his mother sold for £42.8 million. The haunting picture, believed to be the last Van Gogh painted before he killed himself, became the third most expensive painting in history. It was a classic saleroom battle between two anonymous bidders. Christopher Burge, chairman of Christie's in North and South America, started the bidding at £8.4 million on Thursday night and by the time it got to £23.6 million three bidders were left. By then the atmosphere in the room was electric. Electronic Telegraph Full Story on Van Gogh Auction

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