Courtesy of www.PaulCezanne.org

Between 1881 and 1885 Cezanne's father had a studio built in an attic for his son, and the large house and grounds provided the artist with a vast range of subjects. Until he sold the estate on 18 September 1899, Cezanne produced many paintings, drawings and watercolours depicting the house and grounds, which suggest that he worked there with unalloyed pleasure.

In this painting, now in the National Gallery of Prague, the house, with its windows framed with blue shutters, and the neighbouring farm are treated as a study in geometric forms. The simplified configuration does not, however, give an uninteresting impression. The large building seems to be leaning to the right, and this may be why the painting was left unfinished. The soft light of the Midi falls on the colours, making the ochres and blues shimmer.