Banknote Billet France 100 francs Paul Cézanne 1997

The 100 francs Cézanne banknote is an issue of the Banque de France dating from 1997, belonging to series V. It is one of the last major series of French banknotes before the introduction of the euro, and pays tribute to one of the most influential painters of the late 19th century.

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), a Post-Impressionist painter from Aix-en-Provence, is the central figure of this banknote. His work, characterised by an in-depth exploration of geometric shapes and volumes, had a considerable influence on the artistic movements of the 20th century, most notably Cubism. The banknote makes direct reference to this pictorial universe by incorporating visual elements characteristic of his work, including representations evoking the Provençal region and its very distinctive colour palette.

The obverse of the banknote features a portrait of Paul Cézanne, accompanied by partial reproductions of his most iconic works, including evocations of the Mont Sainte-Victoire, a recurring motif in his artistic output. The reverse also features pictorial references drawn directly from his work, reinforcing the thematic consistency of the banknote.

From a technical standpoint, this 100 francs banknote incorporates the security features typical of French issues of that era, including a watermark, a security thread embedded in the paper, and inks with specific properties designed to combat counterfeiting. The face value of 100 francs made it a commonly circulated denomination in France in the late 1990s.