Skulls and Apples, inspired by the works of Cezanne, is a tribute to the artist's heroism in overcoming his personal challenges. The destructiveness and black moods, in his early paintings are represented by the skulls. The apples define his later works of still lifes. Cezanne's explorations of geometric simplification and optical phenomena inspired Picasso, Braque, Gris, and others to experiment with ever more complex multiple views of the same subject, and, eventually to the fracturing of form. Cezanne thus sparked one of the most revolutionary areas of artistic enquiry of the 20th Century, one which was to affect profoundly the development of modern art. This painting is my first still life based on a suggestion from a friend. Note: this is the first non commissioned piece I have sold. It was purchased by an artist as a gift to a significant person in their life.