Want to add the life and art of Paul Cezanne to your homeschool lineup? Here’s a great collection of resources to help you customize a Paul Cezanne Unit Study to enjoy with your students.
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Between the internet, books, videos, and project ideas, there are lots of kid-friendly resources to include in a unit study about Paul Cezanne. Better yet, there are also plenty of resources to help you explore Cezanne’s work with older students. Here are some options to consider.
Paul Cezanne Unit Study Resources
While there are several excellent resources for introducing Cezanne, Masterpiece Society’s art appreciation unit is a particularly great place to start your unit study.
It includes facts and biographical information, links to additional resources, notebooking pages, coloring sheets, and more. That makes it a great choice for learning about Cezanne without having to fully DIY your unit study.
This Masterpiece Society unit can function as the whole of your Cezanne unit study, but you may want to add a few other elements based on your students’ interests. You may also prefer to piece together your entire unit study. If so, the following resources can make it happen for you.
Paul Cezanne: Websites to Know
The following sites provide a solid foundation on which to build your Paul Cezanne Unit Study.
- Paul Cezanne on Google Arts and Culture – This profile on Cezanne includes a short biography and photos of more than one hundred of Cezanne’s works for review.
- How Paul Cezanne Changed Art – Tate Kids has an interesting overview of Cezanne’s work and discusses how his still life paintings influenced the art world. While there’s plenty to read here, there’s also a related video and several paintings for observation.
- Cezanne’s Still Lifes from the National Gallery of Art – This explores Cezanne’s still life paintings through an overview, slide show, guided art exercise, and discussion questions.
- Masterpiece Makers Episode 24 – You can listen to this short podcast episode about Paul Cezanne, view several notable works, and download a free PDF companion.
Books about Paul Cezanne
In addition to the web, books are a great way to learn about Paul Cezanne. You can check out my full Paul Cezanne book list to get all of my recommendations, but here are my top suggestions.
- Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Paul Cezanne by Mike Venezia – Like others in this series, this nonfiction title includes a great overview of Cezanne’s life and work, several photographs of important works, and fun illustrations.
- Cezanne and the Apple Boy by Laurence Anholt – This title explores Cezanne through the eyes of a child and features lovely illustrations that incorporate several of Cezanne’s works.
- The Met: Paul Cezanne by Amy Guglielmo – If I were to make only one recommendation for what to read about Cezanne, this book from The Met’s What the Artist Saw series is it. It provides a solid overview of Cezanne’s life, a timeline of significant pieces, and vibrant illustrations.
What to Read: Children’s Books about Paul Cezanne
Cezanne Unit Study Resources: What to Watch
Want to add some videos about Cezanne to your unit study lineup? Here’s what’s available through YouTube:
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Still Life with Apples and Peaches, c. 1905, Paul Cezanne from the National Gallery of Art – This one shines the spotlight on Cezanne’s famous still life paintings.
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How Paul Cezanne Changed Art by Tate Kids – I referenced this video in the web-based resources about Cezanne, but I share it here to echo how it underscores the significance of Cezanne’s work.
- Why Paul Cezanne Was the True Father of Painting – Art History School’s video is about as thorough as you can be in sixteen minutes. It contains an interesting overview of his life and work, images of his pieces, and a perspective on how Cezanne’s work served as a bridge between modern art movements.
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One of the Most Influential Artists: Paul Cézanne – Art in 5 covers key points about Cezanne set to a backdrop of his works in this super short, yet informative video.
Paul Cezanne Unit Study Activities
Reading and watching go a long way when building a unit study, but it’s also helpful to have some hands-on learning in the mix. Consider adding one, two, or all of these activities to your unit study lineup.
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Basket of Apples coloring sheet – A Cezanne-inspired coloring sheet is a great way to keep hands busy while you’re reading one of his bios aloud.
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Cézanne-Inspired Still Life Collage – This free lesson plan from Crayola provides information about Post-Impressionism, guidance for discussion, and project instructions.
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Mixing with the Masters: Paul Cezanne – Ideal for older kids, middle schoolers, and teens, this Mixing with the Masters unit from Masterpiece Society allows students to explore Cezanne’s work by recreating three of his pieces and a custom project.
- Still-Life Painting: Arranging Nature – Another lesson for middle and high school students, this lesson from The Getty gives a comprehensive look at still life composition and walks students through creating a still life of their own.
Between these books, links, and activity suggestions, you should have everything you need to explore Paul Cezanne’s incredible body of work and artistic legacy through your unit study.
Looking for more unit study resources for the master artists? You’ll want to check out these unit study posts: