History of Painting Cubism

Cubism Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights.

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.

Before Cubism – Picasso’s “Blue Period” Pablo Picasso The Blind Man’s Meal 1903 oil on canvas

We can see from this image how Picasso Is influenced by African masks Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Pablo Picasso Gertrude Stein 1906-1907 oil on canvas 3 ft. 3 3/8 in. x 2 ft. 8 in.

The first “Cubist” painting Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Pablo Picasso Les Demoiselles d’Avignon 1907 oil on canvas 8 ft. x 7 ft. 8 in.

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’Estaque 1908 oil on canvas Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Georges Braque Houses of L’Estaque 1908 oil on canvas 28 3/4 x 23 5/8 in.

Georges Braque The Portuguese Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Georges Braque The Portuguese 1911 oil on canvas 3 ft. 10 1/8 in. x 2 ft. 8 in.

Pablo Picasso Ma Jolie 1911 oil on canvas 39 3/8 x 25 3/4 in. Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Pablo Picasso Ma Jolie 1911 oil on canvas 39 3/8 x 25 3/4 in.

L’Affiche de Kubelick (Le Violon) Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Georges Braque L’Affiche de Kubelick (Le Violon) 1912 oil on canvas 18 1/8 x 24 in.

Pablo Picasso The Accordionist Summer 1911 oil on canvas 51 x 35 in.

Cubism helped to reflect the modern city- its speed, its life, and its fragmentation Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Robert Delaunay Champs de Mars 1911 oil on canvas 5 ft. 3 in. x 4 ft. 3 in.

This is one of the first collages – here Picasso is using paint and rope and part of a chair Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Pablo Picasso Still Life with Chair-Caning 1912 oil and oilcloth on canvas 10 5/8 in. x 1 ft. 1 3/4 in.

Bottle, Newspaper, Pipe and Glass Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Georges Braque Bottle, Newspaper, Pipe and Glass 1913 charcoal and various papers pasted on paper 1 ft. 6 7/8 in. x 2 ft. 1 3/4 in.

Cubism also extended into sculpture – here is a model for Picasso’s sculpture of a guitar Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Pablo Picasso maquette for Guitar 1912 cardboard, string and wire 2 ft. 1 1/4 in. x 1 ft. 7 1/2 in.

Jacques Lipchitz Bather 1917 bronze 2 ft. 10 3/4 in. x 1 ft. 1 1/4 in. Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Jacques Lipchitz Bather 1917 bronze 2 ft. 10 3/4 in. x 1 ft. 1 1/4 in.

Aleksandr Archipenko Woman Combing Her Hair 1915 Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Aleksandr Archipenko Woman Combing Her Hair 1915 bronze approximately 1 ft. 1 3/4 in. high

Julio González Woman Combing Her Hair Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY For publication, reproduction or transmission of images, please contact individual artists, estates, photographers and exhibiting institutions for permissions and rights. Julio González Woman Combing Her Hair ca. 1930-1933 iron 4 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 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