One of the most beautiful portraits in all history of painting

Leo Marchutz:  It is terribly difficult to achieve a unity. Cézanne for instance is right in “La Serre” that is a perfect work of art, and all things that appear behind are completely integrated with the figure, even partly become by the figure better.

Sam Bjorklund: This is the painting, right?

LM: Yes, that is one of the most beautiful portraits in all history of painting. Gauguin thought this way too. But it is a general problem involved, it is the problem of distance: near and far. The problem of … well, “touche”: near objects distant, and bringing distant objects nearer, all that has to do with it.

SB: For every artist, or just for Cézanne?

LM: I think for every artist.

SB: In what sense is it a problem? Do you mean that they have to be united in a same plan?

LM: To create a unity, to bring them on the same plan – “le plan de l’art” – a thing can be distant and in a painting it can be on the same plan as a near thing. Near things have to be brought farther, and far off things have to be brought near – and a plan which is a plan of art, so to speak (…)