The Pool at Jas de Bouffan

Cézanne’s affection for his family’s estate, Jas de Bouffan, near Aix, is reflected in the many views he painted of the property over a quarter century. He depicted the road at the lower right in this composition several times in the mid-1880s. Bordered with chestnut trees, it led from the back of an eighteenth-century house to landscaped gardens. Near the rail dividing the areas was a pool for collecting water and a washing trough, visible in the middle ground. The pool was flanked by waterspouts in the shape of lions, one of which may be seen here from behind.

Credit: Bequest of Stephen C. Clark, 1960