History of Painting

Cubism

Cubism

Cubism

• Although many artists made pieces that had aspects of what came to be called cubism before 1907, we usually date the birth of Cubism to Picasso’s painting “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”.

• Picasso and Braque worked together to develop cubism, and influenced many artists, designers, architects – essentially helping to define the modern style.

Pablo Picasso

The Blind Man’s Meal1903oil on canvas

Before Cubism –

Picasso’s “Blue Period”

Pablo Picasso

Gertrude Stein1906-1907oil on canvas3 ft. 3 3/8 in. x 2 ft. 8 in.

We can see from this image how PicassoIs influenced by African masks

Pablo Picasso

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon1907oil on canvas8 ft. x 7 ft. 8 in.

The first “Cubist” painting

What defines cubism?

• Abstraction = simplification of shapes and lines• Flattening of the image = strong outlines mean

that the three-dimensional aspect of the subject is not as important

• Multiple perspectives = often we can see the subject from different angles

• Fragmentation = cutting up the subject, sometimes rearranging the pieces

Georges Braque

Houses of L’Estaque1908oil on canvas

28 3/4 x 23 5/8 in.

Georges Braque

The Portuguese1911oil on canvas3 ft. 10 1/8 in. x 2 ft. 8 in.

Pablo Picasso

Ma Jolie1911oil on canvas

39 3/8 x 25 3/4 in.

Georges Braque

L’Affiche de Kubelick (Le Violon)1912oil on canvas18 1/8 x 24 in.

Pablo Picasso

The AccordionistSummer 1911oil on canvas51 x 35 in.

Robert Delaunay

Champs de Mars1911oil on canvas5 ft. 3 in. x 4 ft. 3 in.

Cubism helped to reflect the modern city- its speed, its life, and its fragmentation

Pablo Picasso

Still Life with Chair-Caning1912oil and oilcloth on canvas10 5/8 in. x 1 ft. 1 3/4 in.

This is one of the first collages – here Picasso isusing paint and rope and part of a chair

Georges Braque

Bottle, Newspaper, Pipe and Glass1913charcoal and various papers pasted on paper1 ft. 6 7/8 in. x 2 ft. 1 3/4 in.

Pablo Picasso

maquette for Guitar1912cardboard, string and wire2 ft. 1 1/4 in. x 1 ft. 7 1/2 in.

Cubism also extended into sculpture – here is a model for Picasso’s sculpture of a guitar

Jacques Lipchitz

Bather1917bronze2 ft. 10 3/4 in. x 1 ft. 1 1/4 in.

Aleksandr Archipenko

Woman Combing Her Hair1915bronzeapproximately 1 ft. 1 3/4 in. high

Julio González

Woman Combing Her Hairca. 1930-1933iron4 ft. 9 in. high

Guernica - 1937

Picasso’s most famous painting – by this point, his cubism has developed to be more expressive; he uses the fragmentation and multiple angles to express the horror and suffering of war -- painted after the bombing of the Spanish city, Guernica, during the Spanish Civil War

Guernica, 1937

“Picasso's painting is without question the most important anti-war work of art produced in the Twentieth Century.”(http://www.oneonta.edu/faculty/farberas/arth/arth200/guernica.html)

What do you think an artist is? An imbecile who has only eyes if he is a painter, or ears if he is a musician, or a lyre in every chamber of his heart if he is a poet, or even, if he is a boxer, just his muscles? Far, far from it: at the same time, he is also a political being, constantly aware of the heartbreaking, passionate, or delightful things that happen in the world, shaping himself completely in their image. How could it be possible to feel no interest in other people, and with a cool indifference to detach yourself from the very life which they bring to you so abundantly? No, painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war-- Pablo Picasso