Cubism Study Guide

Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art

movement pioneered by Georges Braque and

Pablo Picasso, and later joined by Juan Gris.

The concept developed in Du "Cubisme" of

observing a subject from different points in space

and time simultaneously.

Cubism has been considered the most influential art movement of the 20th century.

In Cubism, objects are broken up and reassembled in

an abstracted form—instead of depicting objects from

one viewpoint, the artist depicts the subject from a

multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in a

greater context.

Picasso became recognized as the inventor of Cubism.

The Demoiselles is generally referred to as the

first Cubist picture. This is an exaggeration,

although it was a first step towards Cubism it is

not yet Cubist.

The Salon Cubists used the faceted treatment of solid and space of multiple viewpoints, blurring the distinctions between past, present and future.

The subject was no longer considered from a specific point of view at a moment in time as if viewed simultaneously from numerous angles with the eye free to roam from one to the other.

Cubist sculpture developed in parallel to Cubist

painting.

Architectural interest in Cubism centered on the

dissolution and reconstitution of three-dimensional

form, using simple geometric shapes, juxtaposed

without the illusions of classical perspective.

The first true Cubist sculpture was Picasso's ~

Woman's Head

Cubist works stressed the use of multiple

perspective and complex planar faceting for

expressive effect while preserving the

eloquence of subject.

images

Duchamp, Two views of 'The Large Horse’

Jean Metzinger ~ Nature Morte

Jean Metzinger ~ Sailboats

Pablo Picasso, Woman's Head, Head of a Woman

Le Corbusier ~ Heidi Weber Museum

Picasso ~ Ambroise Vollard

Picasso ~ Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

Gris ~ Portrait of Picasso

Gris - Bottle and Knife

Braque ~ Houses at L'Estaque

Braque ~ violin and pitcher

Duchamp – Figure Descending a Staircase