Visit to the Atelier Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence

A visit to Cézanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence is a chance to immerse yourself in the painter’s life, to move among the objects of his daily life, the materials he used for his creations, and of course, to admire his works. Cézanne was a prolific painter, and he is inseparably linked with Mont Sainte-Victoire, which he loved so much that he painted it 87 times!

His studio was bathed in light and calm, but the painter also liked to go outside to find inspiration. This native of Aix, who was very attached to his city and its roots, died there at the age of 67 after several stays in Paris. This precursor of post-impressionism and cubism left an indelible mark on the artistic world, despite his late popularity.

A visit to Cézanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence will allow you to discover or learn more about the Father of Modern painting. It’s a visit you can make with your family or friends without moderation!

What are the opening times of the Atelier de Cézanne?

Opening times may vary from year to year. The studio closes for the first 10 days of January.

From January to the beginning of April

9.30 am to 12.30 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm, Tuesday to Saturday

From 5 April to 31 May

9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 6pm, Monday to Sunday

• Closed on 1 May

June to September

9.30 am to 6 pm, Monday to Sunday

October to December

9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday

• Closed on 25 December

Do I have to book in advance to visit Cézanne’s studio?

Yes, booking is compulsory as the maximum capacity of Cézanne’s studio is 20 people.

Where can I park to visit the Atelier Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence?

By car

The Pasteur car park is 600 metres from the studio, but beware: it is quite steep to reach the site.

By bus

• Bus 5, Cézanne stop
• Bus 12, Auriol stop

Prices and rates for the Atelier Cézanne

Visits last 30 minutes, whether self-guided or guided.

1. Self-guided tour

• Full price: €6.50
• Reduced rate (13-25 years): €3.50
• Free admission: City Pass Aix-en-Provence, under-13s, jobseekers, RSA recipients, disabled persons, press, ICOM and tour guides (on presentation of card), Culture du cœur members.
• Audioguide hire: €3 (history of the studio, Cézanne’s life in the studio, etc.).

2. Guided tours

At 11.30 am and 2 pm from June to September and only at 11.30 am the rest of the year.

• Full price: €9.50
• Reduced rate (13-25 years): €6.50
• Free admission City Pass Aix-en-Provence, under-13s, jobseekers, RSA recipients, disabled persons, press, ICOM and tour guides (on presentation of card), Culture du cœur members.

3. Family sensory tour

A 1-hour interactive sensory tour based on the world of Paul Cézanne, where you can let your creativity run free. A fun and enriching way to discover the painter’s work and studio with your children.

This workshop is only available during the school holidays, from Tuesday to Saturday during the Christmas and All Saints’ holidays, and on Wednesdays and Fridays during the Easter holidays.

• Adult price: €10
• Children (aged 5-18): €5

What can you see in Cézanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence?

Personal objects to which he was very attached, his last drawings and still life paintings, the original furniture, as well as the equipment used by the painter in this very studio… This visit is a total immersion in Cézanne’s world. He worked every morning in this studio bathed in natural light, where the silence helped him to concentrate.

The garden was also a source of inspiration for the colours and tones that Cézanne used to create his contrasts. Cézanne himself designed the layout of the studio to maximise light, and was a perfectionist as an artist. His story is full of twists and turns, and you’ll hear all about it during your visit to Cézanne’s studio.

Paul Cézanne and Provence

Born in Aix-en-Provence on 19 January 1839 and died in the same city on 23 October 1906, Paul Cézanne had a strong and unshakeable feeling for his home region and his city. As he said: “When I was in Aix, I thought I would be better off somewhere else, but now that I’m here, I miss Aix. Now that I’m here, I miss Aix. When you’re born there, it’s all over, nothing means anything to you any more. Cézanne spent a good deal of time in Paris, where he tried several times to exhibit his work without much success. He stopped exhibiting in 1884 and returned for good to his beloved Provence.

He was in love with these landscapes, and observing them was a real pleasure for him. However, he kept a “professional” eye, as a keen observer of Provençal geology. He loved the country lanes he had walked so often in his youth with his friend Émile Zola; he knows them by heart, but never tires of them. L’Arc, le Tholonet, the Bibémus quarries, the Lauves hill… These were all places dear to his heart. Not forgetting Mont Sainte-Victoire, which he painted again and again, trying to discover all its facets, all its light and shade.

It was a veritable obsession, and Cézanne painted 44 oil paintings and 43 watercolours of Mont Sainte-Victoire. Today, this Provençal landscape is on display not only in Aix-en-Provence, but also in museums around the world and in the homes of private collectors. The misunderstood Cézanne has become a recognised artist and a source of inspiration for many others.

If you’d like to find out more about Cézanne’s life, you can also visit the house where he was born, the bank that his father ran, the Musée Granet, where he began drawing between 1857 and 1862, his last home and the cemetery where he is buried (cimetière Saint-Pierre D’Aix-en-Provence).