Banknote France 100 Francs - Paul Cézanne - 1997 U

The 100 francs Paul Cézanne banknote was issued by the Banque de France in 1997. It is part of the series of French banknotes honouring great figures of national culture and the arts, which marked the final years of the franc's circulation before the introduction of the euro.

This banknote pays tribute to Paul Cézanne (1839?1906), a Provençal painter regarded as one of the major forerunners of modern art, whose work profoundly influenced Cubism and the avant-garde movements of the 20th century. The painter's portrait features prominently on the note, accompanied by iconographic elements directly linked to his artistic world, including references to his famous still life compositions and to Mont Sainte-Victoire, a recurring motif in his painted work.

The obverse of the banknote presents the portrait of Cézanne along with stylised reproductions of his paintings, integrated into the overall graphic composition. The reverse continues this pictorial tribute with additional visual references to his artistic work and to the Provençal region so dear to him. The colour palette of the note, dominated by warm, ochre tones, echoes the southern atmosphere characteristic of the painter's canvases.

This banknote belongs to series U, an indication printed on the document that allows precise identification of its issue variant within the production of this year. It is part of the 100 francs denominations that represented an intermediate value in the French monetary system at the time. Its weight is 1 gram, in line with the manufacturing standards of French banknotes of this period, produced on security paper incorporating various security features specific to the Banque de France's printing techniques.