At fifty, that is in 1880, I formulated the idea of unity, without being able to render it. At sixty, I am beginning to see the possibility of rendering it.

Cézanne said "he was a father for me. The London years
After the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 having only Danish nationality and being unable to join the army he moved his family to Norwood then a village on the edge of London. Here the paintings were often done in one sitting and the paints were applied wet-on-wet;
The use of color by the Impressionists relied on new theories they developed such as having shadows painted with the reflected light of surrounding and often unseen objects.

He later studied and worked alongside Georges Seurat and Paul Signac when he took on the Neo-Impressionist style at the age of 54. A man to consult and a little like the good Lord" and he was also one of Gauguin's masters. His importance resides in his contributions to both Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.