CUBISM STILL LIFE

CUBISM

One of the most influential art movements (1907-1914) of the twentieth century.

Began by Pablo Picasso (1882-1973) and George Braque in 1907 (1882-1963).

Greatly inspired by African sculptures and artists Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) and George Seurat (1859-1891), and the Fauves.

WHAT IS CUBISM?

In Cubism the subject matter is broken up, analyzed, and reassembled in an abstracted form.

Picasso and Braque initiated the movement when they followed the advice of Paul Cézanne, who in 1904 said artists should treat nature "in terms of the cylinder, the sphere and the cone."

CUBISM…SIMPLY STATED…

Seeing an item or items from all sides at one time.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CUBISM

Braque and Picasso's similar compositions are broken into planes with open edges, sliding into each other while denying all depth.

Color is reduced to a gray-tan cameo, applied uniformly in small brushstrokes creating vibrations of light.

Color returned in force in 1912, in parallel to the creation of the "papiers collés" — collages. Creating a simple geometric armature and pieces of glued paper with trompe l'oeil patterns imitating wood, marble or newsprint, then introducing "already made" elements (musical scores, tobacco packets or playing cards), the "papiers collés" definitively dissociate color and form.

STILL LIFE

still life or still-life - A picture of inanimate objects.

Common still life subjects include vessels, food, flowers, books, clothing.

PABLO PICASSO

Pablo Picasso Portrait of Daniel-

Henry Kahnweiler Paris, Autumn 1910 oil on canvas 39 5/8 x 25 5/8

inches Art Institute of

Chicago.

PABLO PICASSO

Pablo Picasso A Woman Sitting in

a Chair 1910 oil on canvas 100 x 73 cm Georges Pompidou

Center, Paris.

FERNAND LEGER

Albert Gleizes (French, 1881-1953),

Portrait of Jacques Nayral

1911 oil on canvas 161.9 x 114.0 cm Tate Gallery,

London.

FERNAND LEGER

Fernand Léger (French, 1881-1955)

La couseuse (The Sewer)

1909-1910 oil on canvas 73 x 54 cm Georges Pompidou

Center, Paris

FERNAND LEGER

Fernand Léger Table and Fruit 1909 oil on canvas 33 x 38 7/8 inches, Minneapolis Institute

of Arts.

GEORGES BRAQUE

Georges Braque Fruit Dish Paris winter 1908-09 oil on canvas 21 1/4 x 25 1/2

inches (54 x 65 cm) Moderna Museet,

Stockholm, Sweden.

GEORGES BRAQUE

Georges Braque Fruit Dish,

"Quotidien du Midi“ August-September

1912 oil and sand on

canvas 16 x 13 inches (41 x

33 cm) Thomas Ammann

Fine Art, Zurich.

PROCESS

Create a view finder as a class. Complete Picasso reading and handout. Sketch still life from three different angles

(three days). Complete fracture worksheet. Divide paper and trace. Color using markers. Complete rubric.

HELPFUL HINTS:

A still life is drawn from real life. Drawing a still life helps train you to draw what you see. This means that you need to have your objects in front of you.

Pay attention to your light source. This will show you where to put your highlights and your shadows.

Color with the colors you see. Do not assume that bananas are only yellow and oranges are only orange.