For the first time in 70 years, the Art Institute of Chicago presents a major retrospective honoring pivotal post-impressionist artist Paul Cezanne.

Masterpieces on view at the Art Institute of Chicago’s Cezanne exhibition include “The Bay of Marseille, Seen from L’Estaque”

It’s been 25 years since iconic French artist Paul Cezanne’s work has been honored in retrospective form in the U.S., but this month, the Art Institute of Chicago is stepping in to pay homage to the acclaimed creator. On May 15, Cezanne opens at the museum and will display an array of work by Cezanne, a virtuoso described as one of the greatest by the likes of Claude Monet and Henri Matisse. “The exhibition not only showcases new, significant conservation research and findings, but it also explores the influence Cezanne has had on generations of artists,” says curator Gloria Groom.

“The Vase of Tulips”

The exhibition comprises private and rare collections from the Americas, Europe and Asia, featuring both well-known and rarely seen portraits, landscapes and still lifes. Through 90 oil paintings, 40 watercolors and drawings, and two complete sketchbooks, viewers will be able to take a peek into how Cezanne evolved into a pioneer of the arts in the 19th century through his complex approach to painting, as well as examine his techniques—often regarded as unsophisticated— that were, at the time, unprecedented.

“Still Life with Apples”

Groom says, “We hope that visitors will leave feeling a much greater understanding of Cezanne and his work—why he mattered so much to artists of his time and today.” May 15-Sept. 5, 111 S. Michigan Ave.

“Montagne Sainte-Victoire with Large Pine”