Still Life with a Guitar by Juan Gris | Image Source: en.wikipedia.or
Origin of the Term
The term ‘Cubism’ originated from the early 20th-century art movement led by Pablo Picasso and French artist Georges Braque. From 1908 to 1914, Picasso and Braque collaborated closely during an intensive six-year creative partnership. They shared ideas, scrutinised each other’s works and challenged one another to create innovative paintings.
In 1908, Braque exhibited his painting, ‘Houses at l’Estaque’. Upon viewing it, art critic Louis Vauxcelles described the shapes in the artwork as “bizarreries cubiques”, which translates to ‘cube-like oddities’. This led to the coining of the term Cubism.
Phases of Cubism
Analytical Cubism (1908-1912)
- The first phase of the Cubist movement.
- Artists studied and deconstructed subjects into geometric blocks.
- They analysed these blocks from different angles and reconstructed the subject, painting them from multiple viewpoints.
- Monochromatic colour schemes were used, often featuring grey and earthy tones.
Synthetic Cubism (1912-1920s)
- This phase saw the introduction of new materials like coloured paper, newspaper clippings and textured surfaces.
- It brought brighter colours and a lighter, more playful approach.
- Artists emphasised the use of collage and mixed media techniques.
The Essence of Cubism
- Showing subjects from multiple angles simultaneously.
- Transforming everyday objects, landscapes or people into geometric shapes.
- Using unrealistic colours or a limited palette of muted tones such as black, grey and earthy shades.
- Applying tones and shadows to create a three-dimensional illusion.
- Rejecting the idea that art should copy nature.
FAMOUS CUBIST ARTISTS AND THEIR WORKS
PABLO PICASSO
Portrait of Ambroise Vollard
- A prime example of Analytical Cubism.
- Depicts the French art dealer Ambroise Vollard, fragmented as if seen through a broken mirror.
- Uses a monochromatic colour scheme dominated by dark tones.
Three Musicians
- A significant work of Synthetic Cubism.
- Although it looks like cut-out pieces of coloured paper, it is a painting.
- The figures of the three musicians are blended together, symbolising the har-mony of their music.
JUAN GRIS
- Gris was a leader in Synthetic Cubism and helped shape its development.
- His works included strong geometric shapes and collage elements.
Dipika Gurnaney studied at the Sir JJ School of Fine Arts and
is a recipient of a scholarship from the Pont Aven School
of Contemporary Art in France. Dipika has been teaching
children art since 2002.
