Cubism
Cubism was invented by two artists named Pablo Picasso and Georges
Braque in 1906. Cubism is a response to the earlier trend of emphasis on
creating rhythm with basic geometric shapes such as a cylinder, sphere,
cube and the cone. The idea was to create two dimensional flat surfaces
out of three dimensional subjects; the focus being on line and shape
rather than color and value .
This is significant because until this point, the premise of most art
movements was to master the opposite. We focused on creating form and
making these forms “jump” from the canvas using color and value. We
were concerned with making things appear as lifelike as possible. So,
theoretically, Cubism is responsible for paving the way for abstract art
and it’s offspring, our friend, Abstract Expressionism.
The difference between the two as
Cubism
movements, is that Cubism was
almost always representational
where abstract expressionism was
not ever representational.
Abstract Expressionism
Georges Braque
Woman with Guitar 1913
Wassily Kandinsky
Improvisation 31 1931
Cubism did eventually become concerned with color and value much
later. This was a different type of cubism.
There are two types of Cubism:
 Analytic
 and Synthetic.
Analytic Cubism is easy to remember
because they were interested in
“analyzing” the subject simply
through line and shape. They were
not concerned with color or value.
The palette was usually
monochromatic and subdued.
Synthetic Cubism can be remembered by
thinking of synthetics… fabricated materials (like
clothing) which are not natural. This is the Cubist
era where they started to play with color,
however the color was not true to its subject. It
was synthetic….or fake. Often this was created
using paper cuttings and fabric which were
glued to the surface rather than paint. This is
when collage was admitted into the realm of fine
art.
Georges Braque
May 13, 1882 – August 31, 1963
France
Georges Braque was a 20th century french painter and
sculptor, and the cofounder of Cubism. The bulk of his
carreer was dedicated to Cubism and its evolution. He was
injured in the war and later moved into a softer style than
traditional Cubism however, still reminiscent of the
movement.
Georges Braque
Woman With Guitar 1913
Georges Braque
Violin and Candlestick
1910
Georges Braque
Road near L Estaque
1908
Georges Braque
Still Life Pitchers
1932
Pablo Picasso
October 25 1881 – April 8 1973
Real name : Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de
los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Clito Ruiz y Picasso
Pablo Picasso’s work can be broken up into four periods ; The Rose Period, The
Blue Period, Analytic Cubism and Sythetic cubism.
Before cubism, he had tried his hand at almost every style of art and had
mastered them all. He was a rare “jack of all trades” and master of them all as
well.
Pablo Picasso
The Guitar Player
1910
Pablo Picasso
Girl with a Mandolin
1910
Pablo Picasso
Ambroise Vallard
1910
Pablo Picasso
Guernica
1937
11’6” X 25’8”
Picasso’s most famous painting, is his largest painting, Guernica. Guernica is
Picasso’s response to the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish
Civil War. It resides in Madrid and is roughly 11 Feet by 25 feet.
Pablo Picasso
Weeping Woman
1837
Pablo PIcasso
Dora Maar Au Chat
1941
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