CUBISMCUBISM

CUBISMCUBISMCubismCubism was an art movement in France that lasted from 1908 to 1918 and beyond.It was started by Pablo PicassoPablo Picasso and Georges BraqueGeorges Braque.

CUBISMCUBISMAt the beginning of the 20th century, Braque Braque and PicassoPicasso were not interested in showing traditional realism—illusionism—by using realistic perspective as had been done in the past.

Meditation, 1885 William Bouguereau

CUBISMCUBISMBraqueBraque and PicassoPicasso were influenced by Paul Cezanne,

Rocky Landscape, 1887 Paul Cezanne

who simplified natural forms into spheres, cylinders, cubes, and cones . . .

CUBISMCUBISMnew scientific ideas about time and space, like Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity. . .

CUBISMCUBISMand multiple images and ‘flat’ perspective of photography.

Running Full Speed, 1887 Eadweard Muybridge

CUBISMCUBISMThey were also influenced by the recent importation to Europe of African masks.

Nuna Buffalo Mask

CUBISMCUBISMCubists wanted to show objects as geometric shapes (like Cezanne),

Little Harbor, 1909 Georges Braque

CUBISMCUBISMfrom different angles at the same time (like scientific ideas about time and space at the beginning of the 20th century) . . .

Woman with a Guitar, 1913 Pablo Picasso

CUBISMCUBISMand scenes as flat (like photography).

Woman Seated, 1908 Pablo Picasso

CUBISMCUBISMCan you see the influence of African masks in Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon?

CUBISMCUBISMCubism developed and changed over time: the first phase was Analytic Cubism. It is sometimes called ‘Facet Cubism’ because the subject and surrounding space is broken into facets, or pieces of separate surfaces (like a cut diamond).

CUBISMCUBISMAmbroise Vollard, painted in 1910 by Pablo PicassoPablo Picasso, is an example of Analytic Cubism.

Do you see the facets?

CUBISMCUBISM

Portrait of Picasso, 1912 Juan Gris (Spain)

This is Portrait of PicassoPicasso by Juan Gris.

CUBISMCUBISMWhile Analytic Cubism took forms apart, the next phase of Cubism—Synthetic Cubism—put forms together using collage and assemblage, which created questions about what’s illusion and what’s real.

Still Life with Glass, Dice, Newspaper and Playing Card, 1913 Georges Braque

CUBISMCUBISMPicassoPicasso, Braque Braque, and others continued to explore the ideas of Cubism. Synthetic Cubism included the addition of stenciling and lettering, and used vibrant colors, instead of the dark, limited color palette of Analytic Cubism. Still Life with a Poem, 1915 Juan

Gris

CUBISMCUBISMWhat ideas do you see in this untitled work from 1915 by Picasso?

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CUBISMCUBISMCubism influenced many artists from all over the world . . .

The Traveler, 1915 Liubov Popova (Russia)

CUBISMCUBISM

Street: Near the Palace, 1915 Lyonel Feininger (USA)

CUBISMCUBISMCubism influenced a new movement in Italy called Futurism.

Unique Forms of Continuity, 1913 Umberto Boccioni

Do you see Cubism’s influence?

What do you need to know What do you need to know about Cubism?about Cubism?

CUBISMCUBISMWho: Picasso, Braque, Gris

What: Cubism (Analytic Cubism & Synthetic Cubism)

When: 1908 – 1918 and beyond

Where: France; later in Europe, Russia, and USA

Why: To reject traditional perspective and explore ideas of time and space—show portraits, still life, and landscape from several angles at once; explore boundaries of illusion and what’s real

How: By breaking up the picture plane into facets, using geometric shapes, adding lettering, constructing collage and assemblage

Test Yourself: CUBISMTest Yourself: CUBISMWho: Picasso, Braque, Gris

What: Cubism (Analytic Cubism & Synthetic Cubism)

When: 1908 – 1918 and beyond

Where: France; later in Europe, Russia, and USA

Why: To reject traditional perspective and explore ideas of time and space—show portraits, still life, and landscape from several angles at once; explore boundaries of illusion and what’s real

How: By breaking up the picture plane into facets, using geometric shapes, adding lettering, constructing collage and assemblage