Banknote Billet France 100 francs Paul Cézanne 1997

Remarks:

plis, salissures, traces de stockage

The 100 francs Cézanne banknote was issued in 1997 by the Banque de France. It belongs to series S and is one of the last large-format French banknotes before the transition to the euro in 2002. This banknote pays tribute to Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), a Post-Impressionist painter from Aix-en-Provence, considered one of the forerunners of modern art.

The obverse of the banknote features a portrait of Paul Cézanne, accompanied by representations evoking his pictorial work and his Provençal surroundings. Mont Sainte-Victoire, a recurring motif in Cézanne's paintings, is notably depicted, as are elements reminiscent of his palette and his characteristic still lifes. The dominant tones of the banknote revolve around warm hues, in harmony with the painter's colourful universe.

The reverse completes this artistic evocation with further references to Cézanne's work, including compositions recalling his most iconic paintings. The overall graphic composition was carefully crafted to incorporate sophisticated security features characteristic of French banknotes of that era, such as watermarks, security threads and intaglio printing.