Paul Cézanne and Émile Zola: A Record of Their 30-Year Friendship, *Crossed Letters*, translated and published / Professor NAH IL MIN (Department of Space and Cultural Design, Graduate School of Technology and Design)
- 25.08.18 / 이정민
Cézanne and Zola, who opened up new horizons in modern art and literature,
The 30-year friendship and creative journey of two masters connected by letters
“Our names, written in gold, shine together on the first page,
and among the geniuses united by brotherhood, they will always be passed down to future generations.”
(To Cézanne, Paris, March 25, 1860)
Ahead of the 120th anniversary of Cézanne's death, Professor NAH IL MIN (Techno Design Graduate School) has translated Paul Cézanne and Émile Zola's collection of letters, “Crossed Letters 1858-1887,” which has been published by Soyosha. This book, which fully translates the 115 letters exchanged over 30 years between the Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne and the leading figure of Naturalist literature, Émile Zola, is based on the 2016 French Gallimard edition. It was arranged chronologically and supplemented with detailed annotations by Henri Mitterand, an authority on Émile Zola.
These letters, which chronicle the friendship and artistic journey of two boys who met at a middle school in the Mediterranean region of southern France and grew up to become an artist and a writer, intersect against the backdrop of France during the turbulent mid-to-late 19th century. The letters between the two men, who experimented with new forms of painting and literature in opposition to academicism, are filled with mutual support and encouragement in all aspects of life and art. The letters, which intersect as if responding to one another, are like a single work woven together by the two men, vividly illuminating not only the human portraits and artistic views of the individual artists, but also the scene of modern culture and art in France in the late 19th century.
Notably, this book includes Cézanne's final letter, newly discovered in 2013, which hints at a future meeting. This letter overturns the conventional wisdom that their relationship ended when Cézanne severed ties with Zola after believing that the protagonist of Zola's 1886 novel *The Masterpiece*, who committed suicide, was based on himself, thereby shedding new light on their relationship. The dialogue between Cézanne and Zola, spanning over 200 years of time and space, is a precious record that prompts reflection on the meaning of friendship and art, made all the more brilliant by their differences and their shared experiences.
For more details about the book, please refer to the following link:
https://www.yes24.com/product/goods/149362072
Professor NAH IL MIN graduated from Korea University with a degree in French Language and Literature and received his bachelor's and master's degrees in Art History and his doctorate in Art Studies (Cultural Studies) from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. He is currently conducting research and teaching on the history, context, and meaning of art and design works at the Graduate School of Techno Design. He writes and translates works that shed light on the language, lives, and practices of artists who follow their own unique paths, and is also involved in planning cultural spaces that incorporate art.
<Book Information>
Paul Cézanne - Émile Zola
Crossed Letters 1858-1887
Edited by Henri Mitterrand
Translated by Na Il-min
Published by Today Research Institute (Soyosega)
First edition, first printing: July 17, 2025
ISBN 979-11-992026-3-4
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This content is translated from Korean to English using the AI translation service DeepL and may contain translation errors such as jargon/pronouns. If you find any, please send your feedback to kookminpr@kookmin.ac.kr so we can correct them.
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Paul Cézanne and Émile Zola: A Record of Their 30-Year Friendship, *Crossed Letters*, translated and published / Professor NAH IL MIN (Department of Space and Cultural Design, Graduate School of Technology and Design) |
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2025-08-18
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Cézanne and Zola, who opened up new horizons in modern art and literature, The 30-year friendship and creative journey of two masters connected by letters
“Our names, written in gold, shine together on the first page, and among the geniuses united by brotherhood, they will always be passed down to future generations.” (To Cézanne, Paris, March 25, 1860)
Ahead of the 120th anniversary of Cézanne's death, Professor NAH IL MIN (Techno Design Graduate School) has translated Paul Cézanne and Émile Zola's collection of letters, “Crossed Letters 1858-1887,” which has been published by Soyosha. This book, which fully translates the 115 letters exchanged over 30 years between the Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne and the leading figure of Naturalist literature, Émile Zola, is based on the 2016 French Gallimard edition. It was arranged chronologically and supplemented with detailed annotations by Henri Mitterand, an authority on Émile Zola.
These letters, which chronicle the friendship and artistic journey of two boys who met at a middle school in the Mediterranean region of southern France and grew up to become an artist and a writer, intersect against the backdrop of France during the turbulent mid-to-late 19th century. The letters between the two men, who experimented with new forms of painting and literature in opposition to academicism, are filled with mutual support and encouragement in all aspects of life and art. The letters, which intersect as if responding to one another, are like a single work woven together by the two men, vividly illuminating not only the human portraits and artistic views of the individual artists, but also the scene of modern culture and art in France in the late 19th century.
Notably, this book includes Cézanne's final letter, newly discovered in 2013, which hints at a future meeting. This letter overturns the conventional wisdom that their relationship ended when Cézanne severed ties with Zola after believing that the protagonist of Zola's 1886 novel *The Masterpiece*, who committed suicide, was based on himself, thereby shedding new light on their relationship. The dialogue between Cézanne and Zola, spanning over 200 years of time and space, is a precious record that prompts reflection on the meaning of friendship and art, made all the more brilliant by their differences and their shared experiences.
For more details about the book, please refer to the following link: https://www.yes24.com/product/goods/149362072
Professor NAH IL MIN graduated from Korea University with a degree in French Language and Literature and received his bachelor's and master's degrees in Art History and his doctorate in Art Studies (Cultural Studies) from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. He is currently conducting research and teaching on the history, context, and meaning of art and design works at the Graduate School of Techno Design. He writes and translates works that shed light on the language, lives, and practices of artists who follow their own unique paths, and is also involved in planning cultural spaces that incorporate art.
<Book Information>
Paul Cézanne - Émile Zola Crossed Letters 1858-1887
Edited by Henri Mitterrand Translated by Na Il-min Published by Today Research Institute (Soyosega) First edition, first printing: July 17, 2025 ISBN 979-11-992026-3-4
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