Cezanne’s Coat on a Chair, 1890 is like a living, animated thing, a drawn sculpture. The traces of the person who set this coat on this chair—likely Cezanne himself—are still there. It seems hurriedly tossed off, not draped quietly and neatly over the back, as if he was in a rush, perhaps returning from a walk, eager to get back to work.

"Time and contemplation gradually modify our vision,” Cezanne said, “and at last we reach understanding." I have not seen the MoMA Cezanne drawing show in person, but of all the images that I was able to see, this one stood out among the still lifes and figures. It is utterly contemporary and breathtakingly beautiful. Time, in this case, has only rendered it more extraordinary.