Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge

Style Imitating Art: Woman with a Coffee Pot by Paul Cézanne

March 24, 2021 / 38 Comments
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge

Y’all know how excited I get for Style Imitating Art time so here we go!

About Style Imitating Art

Style Imitating Art is hosted by Daenel of Living Outside the Stacks, Salazar of 14 Shades of Grey, and Terri of Meadow Tree Style. Style Imitating Art challenges us to draw style inspiration from pieces of art. Every other Monday, one of the hosts, acting as curator, selects an inspiration image that they will each post on their blogs. The following Monday, each host shares her art inspired outfit. Participants are invited to submit their art inspired outfits to the curator by 10:00 p.m. EST on the Tuesday following the hosts’ art inspired outfit posts. The following day, Wednesday, the curator will share all of the submissions on her blog.

You don’t have to be a blogger to join! You are invited to share your images on Instagram or other social media platforms! Just be sure to tag Salazar, Terri, and Daenel or use #TeamLOTSStyle and #StyleImitatingArt so the hosts know you have joined. Go have some fun in your closets and join the SIA challenge next week!

The Inspiration Artwork

The inspiration artwork was curated by Daenel of Living Outside the Stacks. You can read why she has chosen this specific piece as her inspiration artwork here. It is a beautiful story!

Woman with a Coffee Pot by Paul Cézanne (1895)

Woman with a Coffee Pot by Paul Cézanne
Woman with a Coffee Pot by Paul Cézanne, Oil on Canvas (1895)
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, Woman with a Coffee Pot, Shelbee on the Edge

About the Artist: Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) was a French artist and post-Impressionist painter who is credited for bridging the gap between late 19th century Impressionism and early 20th century Cubism. He was exploratory and repetitive with his brushstrokes which became a recognizable feature prominent in his work. The manner in which he formed complex fields by combining planes of color with small brushstrokes helped to convey just how intensely he studied his subjects. Both Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso have referred to Paul Cézanne as “the father of us all” which is evidence of just how important his works are to the evolution of art and art history…despite the fact that his work was misunderstood and publicly discredited for most of his life.

Similar to Pierre Bonnard (from my previous SIA post), Paul Cézanne’s father also pushed him to attend law school even though he showed much promise and passion in his drawing and art classes. From 1858 to 1861, in accordance with his father’s wishes, Cézanne attended the law school of the University of Aix while continuing his drawing lessons at the Free Municipal School of Drawing in Aix. He studied his drawing under the tutelage of Joseph Gibert, a Spanish monk.

In 1861, at the urging of his friend and fellow artist Émile Zola but against his father’s wishes, Cézanne left Aix for Paris in order to pursue his artistic development. Eventually, he reconciled with his father who later left him an inheritance of 400,000 francs which rid him of all financial worries so he could actively pursue his art career.

Cézanne’s earliest works featured groups of large heavy figures painted in landscapes. Later he moved to a more direct observational style of painting which led to a much lighter and airier style than his earlier works. By his later years, Cézanne’s painting style felt more architectural in effect. All of his life, he struggled to develop an authentic way to paint his direct observations of the world and eventually ended up simplifying naturally occurring forms to their geometric elements in his later paintings. His search for “truth of perception” led him to explore binocular vision in his works which created a visual phenomena that allowed a different aesthetic experience for viewers.

Cézanne concentrated his works in four different artistic genres: still lifes, portraits, landscapes, and studies of bathers. However, due to a lack of willing nude models, his bathing works were mostly painted from his imagination. During his later life, Cézanne preferred to create in solitude and isolation in the South of France. As a result, the subjects of his paintings from this time included his wife and son as well local peasants and their children and occasionally his art dealer and people in his employ. Certain props that he used for his works are maintained in tact to this day, as he left them, in his studio in Aix.

In October of 1906, Cézanne was caught in a storm while working in a field all day. He died from pneumonia a few days later. He was 67 years old.

Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge

About the Painting: Woman with a Coffee Pot by Paul Cézanne

Woman with a Coffee Pot is an oil on canvas painted during the Impressionist period. It measures 130 cm (51.2 in) in height and 96.5 cm (40 in) in width and creates the image of a very imposing natural force. While the model has never been specifically identified, it is believed that she was an employee at the Jas de Bouffan, the Cézanne family home near Aix en Provence. Cézanne never used professional models for his works as he preferred family members or people who knew well and was comfortable with because he was quite bashful and painstakingly slow in his painting process.

This particular painting is a study of forms rather than character and was an instrumental work of art in the transition from Impressionism to Cubism. You can see the vague beginnings of cubist elements in this portrait in the highly simplified yet strict arrangement of horizontal and vertical lines. This painting records the shift in Cézanne’s art that began twenty years previously as he started moving away from Impressionism.

He approached this portrait as if he were painting a still life because he wanted to “treat nature through cylinders, spheres and cones.” As with many of his paintings from this time period, the viewpoint changes as your eye moves across the canvas. For example, the table top is viewed from above while the woman and the coffee pot are viewed from a side angle. This unnatural perspective became a defining characteristic of Cubist art which evolved further in the hands of Picasso and Georges Braque.

Resources:

Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge

My Outfit Inspired by Woman with a Coffee Pot

As soon as I saw the curated work for this week’s style prompt, I immediately thought of this dark chambray swing dress. It is 100% tencel in a deep shade of indigo. Both the color and the silhouette very much reminded me of the woman’s dress in the painting. I wore cognac over the knee boots to pick up the shades of brown in the table. To reflect the white floral border down the left side of the painting, I added my ivory moto jacket, an ivory silk beaded scarf, and a pearly floral necklace. I went out searching for the perfect gray stone wall to mirror the background wall in the painting and I had every intention of bringing my favorite oversized white coffee mug with me as a prop. But I completely forgot to grab it as we walked out the door. Darn it! I did, however, remember to style my hair with a middle part like the woman in the portrait.

I had to snap a few photos near these beautiful memorial flowers that were tied around some of the sign posts in memory of a local firefighter who recently died during a training exercise. Very sad news. Many prayers to his family and friends.

Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge
Style Imitating Art, denim dress, swing dress, fashion over 40, otk boots, Shelbee on the Edge

To see more outfits inspired by this painting, please visit Daenel’s post for the complete roundup of submissions. You can also read the details of Daenel’s own inspired outfit here, Terri’s here, and Salazar’s here. Have you joined the Style Imitating Art challenges yet? Be sure to check for the next prompt on Monday, March 29, 2021.

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

Shop my look…Everything was shopped from my closet.

Outfit Details: Jacket (Black Rivet) and Tights-Thrifted / Dress-Chelsea & Theodore / Boots-Target / Sunnies-Kate Spade / Scarf, Necklace, Earrings, and Wrist Scrunchie-Old

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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38 Comments

  • Suzy

    March 24, 2021 at 12:30 pm Reply

    You nailed it, Shelbee! I actually joined in today too! I went for denim on denim to mirror the woman’s blue dress. I also had a centre parting. However, I did remember the coffee mug and pot lol (which was easy considering the photos were taken in my own garden!). I love your blue dress. Tencel is such gorgeous fabric to wear isn’t it? Those photos of you in the tunnel are super cool 😀
    This was fun, I think I’ll join in again next time!
    Huge hugs
    Suzy xx

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 25, 2021 at 10:12 am Reply

      Yay, Suzy, I am so excited that you joined this time! I haven’t gotten over to read Daenel’s post but will be doing that soon. Tencel really is fabulous. I just had to go research the fabric because I remember when I worked at Talbots way back in the late 1990’s, tencel was like the best new fabric in fashion. Apparently, the technology for this fabric was invented in 1972 but did not become extremely popular until the early 2000’s. So I was familiar with it and really loved the feel of this fabric before it was even a trending thing. I do get excited when I find garments that I love in this fabric. It is so nice to wear!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 25, 2021 at 10:06 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Ellie! I was really happy with this outfit. I liked the simplicity of just a few pieces and a few accessories. And yes, it was very tragic news and kind of scary that it happened during a training exercise.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 25, 2021 at 10:02 am Reply

      Terri, thanks so much! This prompt made me really happy for a few reasons, the first being that I remembered this long forgotten dress and also remembered how fabulously swingy and swishy it is! Another reason being that I am a big fan of Picasso and his Cubist works so this was so interesting for me to research. I didn’t realize that Cezanne led the way away from Impressionism and opened the doors for the Cubism. I should have taken some art history classes back when I was in school. Now I am wondering why I did not!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 25, 2021 at 9:54 am Reply

      Thanks, Mireille! We have so many pretty rock walls like this all throughout my little town and this tunnel is a favorite spot for especially because the river is right there, too. It gives lots of options for backgrounds. I need to start putting sticky note reminders on my purse or something so I remember my props!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • Mike

      March 26, 2021 at 3:27 am Reply

      Wow! I am really loving that blue, Shelbee! Your dress is perfect in terms of color and style, and your boots are a terrific add on!
      I think you did awesome!

      Thanks for sharing the brief history on Cézanne. I never would have known that he came before Picasso and sort of “kicked started” the movement from Impressionism to Cubism. I found a book about him at the library today and checked it out as now I’m even more curious about his life and his work.
      It’s sort of a tragic end to his life from the sounds of it. Ironically, he died in a similar way that George Washington did and they both died at the age of 67; not that old.

      • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

        March 26, 2021 at 9:37 am Reply

        Mike, thanks so much! I didn’t realize Cezanne led the way for Picasso either so that was really fascinating information for me. I have always been a fan of Picasso especially his Cubist works but I never studied art history so I really am enjoying the research that I put into the SIA posts. When you spoke of both Cezanne and George Washington dying young at 67, it triggered me to think of life expectancy. So I had to go research that as well! Cezanne died in 1906 when the average life expectancy for men was 47 so he actually lived quite a long life for his time. And in 1799, when Washington died, the average life expectancy for men was just under 40 years, so he really did live into old age for his time period. So strange how the context can completely change our perception! Even more interesting, the average life expectancy for humans has nearly doubled in just the last century. I guess we can thank science and technology for that! And there I go nerding out on useless facts! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

        xoxo
        Shelbee

  • Michelle

    March 25, 2021 at 7:15 am Reply

    I love this outfit! Besides doing an excellent job emulating the painting, this is just a really pretty look on you. Speaking of Paul Cézanne, seeing the spelling reminded me of a fellow student in high school – her name was Cezanne. Not being familiar with many painters at that age, I never knew the origin of her name probably came from this painter. I just assumed her parents had created this unusual name. Ha! It only took me 40 years to put it altogether.

    Michelle
    https://mybijoulifeonline.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 25, 2021 at 9:41 am Reply

      Thank you, Michelle! I should wear this dress more often! I actually had completely forgotten about it until I saw the art prompt…another wonderful reason why I enjoy these prompts so much…they help remember forgotten things in my closet! That is a great story about your schoolmate named Cezanne and it triggered me to do a quick search for the history of that name. There is not really much to be found except that the name Cezanne given as a first name is likely to be after the artist Paul Cezanne! Fascinating stuff and very creative parents!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Ann

    March 25, 2021 at 6:49 pm Reply

    That deep indigo swing dress looks amazing on you, Shelbee, and I’m loving the cognac over the knee boots you wore with it. I’m definitely getting the vibes of Cezanne’s painting! xxx

  • Mica

    March 25, 2021 at 11:32 pm Reply

    That’s a cute navy dress on you! I like the scarf you added to it and it does match the outfit in the photo so nicely! 🙂

    Hope you are having a good week 🙂

      • Mike

        March 29, 2021 at 4:20 am Reply

        I LOVE trivia!!! Wow, this is so interesting, Shelbee! I have heard that the life expectancy for both of these eras in time was quite short, especially in George Washington’s time, so I guess you could say that he was way ahead of his time in terms of living!
        But yeah, I’m all into trivia and learning new things. One of my favorite shows to watch on TV is Jeopardy (at least when Alex Trebek was still alive) and I surprisingly would get some of the questions right!
        I get facts from all kinds of sources; books, TV, and even the Internet. I make sure I confirm what I hear with other sources of course! There’s a YouTube Channel that I’ve been hooked on for a while called Facts Verse that has tons of interesting trivia facts. Here’s the link to one of the videos:
        https://youtu.be/as1WNp2ffcg

        Two of the facts mentioned in this one I remember reading about in books (the one about magnets losing their charge after being heated and being able to hear a lion’s roar from 5 miles away) so I know that those are at least true! I will have to further research the others to make sure, but it’s interesting to say the least!
        I always enjoy reading your posts, Shelbee and I always feel like I can truly be myself when I talk to you (I’m a total nerd!)!

        • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

          March 29, 2021 at 9:01 am Reply

          I will definitely have to check out that video, Mike! I really do enjoy discovering all sorts of things. My 9 year old is the same way so he would probably enjoy that YouTube channel as well. I have a new post up today that involved researching the origin of the saying, “Birds of a feather flock together,” and I found some pretty fascinating stuff on that one, too! You might enjoy that post as well. Gah, I do love discovering random facts about random things and then sharing them because I think it is cool…I think that might be the perfect definition of a nerd! Haha. Nerds unite! I hope you have a wonderful week ahead, my friend!

          xoxo
          Shelbee

  • Mike

    March 30, 2021 at 3:54 am Reply

    I will most certainly check out your post, Shelbee! I often wonder about our English idioms and how they originate. It really is a fascinating thing to learn and try new things. I think for me, it goes back to my early years when I would look up random facts in the encyclopedia for fun (I’m old enough to remember a time before the Internet was “born”!) and people would give me the nickname “walking encyclopedia”, which I guess in today’s terms, it would be more like “Walking Wikipedia” or something similar!
    It is really fun for me! I’m glad to hear that it is also fun for you!
    I think your son will really enjoy the Facts Verse channel on YouTube. I’ve watched numerous videos on there and as far as I can tell, I didn’t see anything that would be inappropriate for a 9 year old. So I’m more than sure that it will be okay for him. Some of the videos are done in a more entertainment style as opposed to just random facts. Like there is one video that shows an “alien student” doing a science experiment by simulating what would happen to our solar system if one of the planets was taken out. It’s a fun and interesting video to learn about the solar system with a bit of a story attached. 🙂
    I agree! That is the perfect definition of a nerd! I think I fit that definition pretty well!
    You too! Have a great week, friend!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 30, 2021 at 10:50 am Reply

      Oh my word, Mike, I always had my face buried in an encyclopedia when I was younger! Yes, I am that old, too! Haha. That is one thing that I do love about technology…the ease in finding answers to all of my nerdy questions! I don’t think I ever have a conversation that does not at some point include me saying, “Ooh, let’s go look that up!” And I definitely need to check out that YouTube channel with my kids. I want to watch what would happen if one of the planets were removed from our solar system! Space stuff is my favorite!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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