Paul Smith (University of Warwick) "Cezanne, sensations of colour, and autism"
The essay is available below.
Our next meeting (Wednesday, 13 November, 12:00PM EST (UTC -5:00) will feature discussion of a work in Progress. Paul Smith has offered to present "Cézanne, sensations of colour, and autism", a draft of a chapter of his book project on Cézanne, perception, and autism.
Paul’s chapter explores the possibility that the French post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) was autistic. It does so by comparing how Cézanne described his colour sensations in letters to friends and colleagues with their materialisation in his paintings, and by examining records of his behaviour and sensory sensitivities. This is an extraordinary opportunity to delve into colour from a different, non-neurotypical, angle and I hope you will take advantage of it.
Paul Smith is Professor of the History of Art at University of Warwick. His research interests include colour theory and colour in the works of Seurat, Cézanne and C19th art more generally. Recent writing has looked at the role of psychology and neuroscience to investigate Cézanne’s "slow looking," and explored the science, perception, and depiction of coloured shadows.
Organizer: Giulia Simonini