Paul Cezanne, for example, was the greatest painter of the modern period but not one of his many masterpieces would be considered an icon.

BBC: Too famous to see?

Not long ago it was common to write about modern art, particularly abstract art, as if the work, but not the painter, existed.

ECONOMIST: 20th-century art

One highlight of the May auctions was the sale of ''Nature Morte au Melon Vert, '' a delicious still-life composition by the painter Paul Cezanne that grabbed the top price at Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern auction.

FORBES: Scintillating Cezanne, Sizzling Season