"The Curse of the Cezannes," the book that turns into family discord
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"Portrait of the Artist with a Pink Background," self-portrait by Paul Cezanne, circa 1875. AGLILEO COLLECTION/AURIMAGES VIA AFP
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The painter's great-great-great-granddaughter is preparing to publish "a scandalous story" about her family, much to the dismay of her grandfather and uncle, who have taken her to court.
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Apart from the publisher, Plon, no one has yet read the text, but the book project by Tess Cezanne (1), the painter's great-great-great-granddaughter, is already causing a stir. This is due to a sensational summary sent to the press at the beginning of the year. "Turpitude, perversion and the lure of gain, the members of the family are suffocating each other. From Megève to Paris, obviously passing through Provence, the descendants of the Aix painter are confronted with their most terrible demons," wrote the publishing house, promising "a sulphurous tale" about a family swept "into the depths of depravity."
Entitled "The Curse of the Cezannes," the book was due to be published on April 10, 2025, before Plon postponed its release to December 31, 2099. This is a way in the publishing world of indicating that a work has been postponed indefinitely . Why? A few weeks before the initially planned publication date, Philippe Cezanne, holder of the artist's moral rights, and his son Clément, Tess's grandfather and uncle respectively, sued the…
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