

He was part of the 20th-century avant-garde, working alongside Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and Henri Matisse in Paris. Juan Gris was a Spanish painter and a leading member of the Cubism movement. Portrait of Pablo Picasso (1912) by Juan Gris Portrait of Pablo Picasso by Juan Gris, 1912, Art Institute of Chicago While the precedent Analytical Cubism period was focused on fragmenting objects, Synthetic Cubism emphasized experimentation with textures, flattened perspective and brighter colors. Synthetic Cubism is the later period of Cubism spanning between 19. The color scheme is muted, with elements of red and green blended into it. The woman’s body and the teacup are both deconstructed, featuring plays on light, shadow and perspective. It resembles classical and Renaissance bust portraiture but has a modern, abstracted figure and elements of spatial distortion. It is a portrait of a woman having tea in a characteristic cubist composition. Tea Time represents Metzinger’s hybridization of classical art with modernism. He was also influenced by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, who he met when he moved to Paris to pursue a career as an artist. He worked in the Fauvist and Divisionist styles in the early 1900s, utilizing some of their elements in his cubist works including bold colors and defined outlines. Jean Metzinger was a French artist and writer who wrote the leading theoretical work on Cubism with fellow artist Albert Gleizes. Tea Time (1911) by Jean Metzinger Tea Time by Jean Metzinger, 1911, Philadelphia Museum of Art It has intersecting, geometric panels with blended colors, confusing the perspective and disorienting the viewer. The piece is thus highly emotional and focuses on several associations with the artist’s significant memories. It portrays a surreal, dream-like setting with folk symbols and elements from the town of Vitebsk, where Chagall grew up. I and the Village depicts an autobiographical scene from Chagall’s childhood in Russia. He worked in several different mediums throughout his career and studied under a stained-glass maker which led to him to take up its craftsmanship. His work predated the imagery of Surrealism and used poetic and personal associations rather than traditional artistic representations. Marc Chagall was a Russian-French painter and printmaker who used dream iconography and emotive expression in his work. I and the Village (1911) by Marc Chagall I and the Village by Marc Chagall, 1911, MoMA It consists mainly of flat, horizontal brush strokes and sharp outlines. It is rendered in muted tones of brown, grey and black, with juxtaposing shadows and a flattened perspective. It is composed on a grid with deconstructed elements that form a single composition, allowing the viewer to draw their interpretation of the piece. Violin and Candlestick depicts an abstracted violin and candlestick still life. Violin and Candlestick (1910) by Georges Braque Violin and Candlestick by Georges Braque, 1910, SF MoMA It also featured the restricted color palette of Proto-Cubism. It is characterized by the deconstructed representations of objects with contradictory shadows and planes, which play with traditional notions of perspective. Houses at L’Estaque (1908) by Georges Braque Houses at L’Estaque by Georges Braque, 1908, Lille Métropole Museum of Modern, Contemporary or Outsider ArtĪnalytical Cubism in the early phase of Cubism, beginning in 1908 and ending around 1912. The piece is one of the most famous examples of Cubism’s divergence from traditional aesthetics. Below them sits a pile of fruit posed for a still life. Their bodies are angular and disjointed, standing as if they are posing for the viewer. All the figures stand to confront the viewer, with slightly disconcerting facial expressions. The piece is rendered in muted, paneled block colors. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon depicts five nude women in a brothel in Barcelona. His work was known for its angular shapes and challenging traditional perspectives. However, he also made significant contributions to other movements including Expressionism and Surrealism. He, along with Georges Braque, founded the Cubism movement in the early 1900s. Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, printmaker, sculptor, and ceramicist who is known as one of the most prolific influences on 20th-century art. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907) by Pablo Picasso Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso, 1907, MoMA This period reflects the experimentation and influences that resulted in geometric shapes and a more muted color palette in sharp contrast to the preceding Fauvist and post-impressionis t movements. Proto-Cubism is the introductory phase of Cubism that began in 1906.
