Pablo Picasso Bowl of Fruit, Violin and Bottle, 1914 “We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth..”

An “ism” is a suffix at the end of many English words. It comes from Greek “ismos” and Latin “ismus”. You have seen it at the end of words like optimism, Buddhism, racism, favoritism, and terrorism. Cubism

It signifies a belief, practice, idea, or movement. In art, there are many movements that end in ism. Cubism One of the most important ISMs is Cubism.

When and what? Three stages: –Early Cubism 1906 – 1909 –Analytical Cubism 1909 – 1912 –Synthetic Cubism The Weeping Woman, Picasso 1937

Cubism was a movement that began in France in the early 20 th Century by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and French artist Georges Braque. Picasso Braque Cubism

Influence: Paul Cezanne (Cezanne started as an Impressionist but then developed his own style) The Garden at les Lauves 1906 Nudes In Landscape sStillsStill Still life with apples Mont St. Victoire seen from Les Lauves Bend in Road “Nature should be handled With the cylinder, sphere and cone.” Cezanne “I am the primitive of the method I have invented” Paul Cezanne

Towards Cubism Proto Cubism Picasso Compared to Braque Picasso was influenced by Egyptian, Iberian and African sculpture whereas Braque’s main influence was Cezanne Portrait of Gertrude Stein 1906 Les Desmoiselles D’Avignon 1907 Self Portrait 1908

Picasso is best known for Cubism. In some of his pieces objects are geometrical but still easily identified. Enamel Saucepan by Pablo Picasso Cubism

Early Cubism: depiction of the whole structure of the object and its position in space, combining different viewpoints. The Vase, Bowl, Lemon, Picasso 1907

Georges Braque Clarinet and Bottle of Rum on a mantelpiece, 1911 “When we created Cubism, we had no intention of creating Cubism, but of expressing what was inside us.”

© RKM Why Cubism? “Braque scorns form, reduces everything – figures and objects – to geometric diagrams, to cubes!” Louis Vauxcelles, art critic, 1908 Violin and Pitcher, Braque, 1910

geometric and two dimensional …rejected the idea of using perspective to create art as seen in nature. It was geometric and two dimensional. Objects were “broken apart” and the pieces could be viewed from all sides. Violin and Candlestick by Braque Cubism

Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque Emphasizes flat, two-dimensional surface Rejects perspective, chiaroscuro

Analytical Cubism: breaking down of the subject and the space around it into angular planes or facets that record different viewpoints and information; no interest in colour or texture Clarinet and Bottle of Rum on a mantelpiece, Braque 1911

Geometric forms without realistic detail Refutes art as the imitation of nature “Conceived rather than perceived reality” Capture essence of object by showing it from multiple points of view simultaneously

Picasso, LES DEMOISELLES D’AVIGNON (1907)

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon Subject: 5 Prostitutes, seen in both frontal and profile views Influence of African masks (result of recent colonization of Africa by Europeans)

Picasso, LES DEMOISELLES D’AVIGNON (1907)

Picasso, Three Women

Mostly monochromatic... …backlash to the impressionist period’s emphasis on light and color.

Cubist paintings were less representational than impressionist, which were less representational than all earlier styles.

Picasso, Female Torso (1908)

Picasso, Portrait of Daniel- Henry Kahnweiler (1910)

Picasso, Guitar Player (1910)

Picasso, Girl With a Mandolin (1910)

Picasso, A Woman Sitting on a Chair (1910)

Following are some paintings by Picasso’s contemporary, and cubism’s co-founder, Georges Braque.

Braque, Large Nude (1908)

Braque, Fruit Dish ( )

Braque, Glass on a Table ( )

Analytical Cubism (Georges Braque) Examining Braque's Harbour 1908 (Figure 1) we find an abstract construction of houses and boats from their most basic forms, being the cube, sphere and cone. Braque eliminated a single perspective by painting the boats and houses in multiple perspectives that he (and by incidence most people) found most recognisable. These included an aerial view of the struts and masts of the boats, and the roofs of the houses (right side) but a landscape view of the helms of the boats and arches of the houses. Therefore Braque was not painting these objects as he saw them, but as he 'knew' them. Harbor Bottle and Fishes 1910 Le Portugais 'My picture is an object, a flat surface, and the spatial sensations it evokes are a painter's space which is intended to inform and not deceive.

Synthetic Cubism: collages of interlocked fragments of newspaper, wallpaper, and labels with fragments of painting, drawing and writing; colour reintroduced & texture & pattern Bottle, Glass, Guitar and newspaper, Picasso 1913

In some of his cubist paintings, Picasso introduced other elements, such as collage.

Picasso, Bottle of VieuxMarc, Glass, Guitar & Newspaper (1913)

Synthetic Cubism (Picasso) Introduction of color, collaged elements, lettering and sand Harlequin With Violin 1918 TEXTURETEXTURE COLORFROTTAGE SHAPE SAND GRATTAGE SIMULATEDSIMULATED ACTUALACTUAL COLLAGE Guitar and Violin 1914 Still Life with Fruit on Dish

As did Picasso, Braque began experimenting with more than just oil paint on canvas... Here he uses pasted papers, chalk, charcoal on cardboard:

Braque, Glass, Carafe and Newspapers (1914)

Synthetic Cubism Georges Braque “Art is Made to Disturb. Science Reassures” Fruit on a Table cloth with a Fruitdish 1925 Still Life on a Table 1914 Black Fish 1942

Braque also exhibits the influence of Post-Impressionist Paul Cezanne on the Cubist movement:

Braque,Viaduct…(1908) Cezanne, Turning Road at Montgeroult (1899)

Analytical & Synthetic Cubism Visual Characteristics Analytical Cubism 1.Show object from multiple and stereotypic points of views at the same time (relates to Egyptian painting) 2.Color limited to browns, greens, black and grey 3.Planes interpenetrate other planes 4.Very shallow fractured space (Influence of Cezanne) 5.Built around central vertical core 6.Objects and spaces are destroyed and rebuilt 7.Architectonic formula expressing abstract order (but the object is still necessary) Synthetic Cubism 1.Color is introduced to a flattened form of Cubism 2.The collage is invented by Braque and Picasso 3.Use of real and simulated textures (Grattage and Frottage) 4.Little paint used extensive use of charcoal 5.Extensive use of lettering 6.Space is much flatter 7.Extensive use of bare canvas 8.Incorporation of sand for three dimensional texture.

CUBISM has been related to several major ideas of the 20th century:

Albert Einstein’s Theory of RELATIVITY showed that everything in the universe was constantly moving, thus always changing perspective

Philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sartre developed a new philosophy called EXISTENTIALISM, a profoundly new and different way of looking at “right” & “wrong”.

Ever since Plato, western philosophers agreed that there were universal, objective standards of right & wrong, good & evil, that applied to everybody.

Western morality was based on Judaeo- Christian religious beliefs, which provided specific commandments for right and wrong behavior.

Existentialists said there were no universal standards of morality to guide us. Everyone constantly faces choices. You alone must accept the risk and responsibility of your actions. You alone must determine “right” and “wrong”

So, “everything is relative”. You see things from your own point of view, and that view is constantly changing… …just like the multiple perspectives seen in Cubist paintings.

Picasso, Self Portrait

Three Musicians by Pablo Picasso

A Portrait of David-Henry Kahnweiler by Pablo Picasso

‘The Other Cubist Artist’: Juan Gris Guitar and Music Table 1927 The Open Window 1921 Harlequin With Guitar 1916 Musician’s Table 1914 Guitar on a Chair 1912 Bottles and Knife 1911 “ You are lost the moment you know what the result will be.”

Analysis of form Fractured value –by using shading and NOT tonal modelling Objects painted from different angles Complex interlocking shapes create feelings of tension & anxiety in viewer Vertical or diagonal plane lines disrupt the composition Details are edited out = simplify, select & modify from nature How will Cubism change the way we see you?

Break up/divide your image in a linear or geometric way. Consider patterns of shattered glass, waves of water, the spiral of a seashell, or a geometrical division of shapes such as squares or triangles. Trace your self portrait more than once- over lapping or changing orientation. These new lines will overlap the enlarged drawing of your face. This will make the line drawing more visually complicated.

Connor B, 15 yrsNile C

Miles Mask, Martel Chapman Rossine, Vladimir Baranov ( ) Variation of a Mobius Band

Portrait of Picasso, Juan Gris ( ) Czech Soldier, Prague

Albert Gleizes (French, ), Portrait of Jacques Nayral, 1911, oil on canvas, x cm, Tate Gallery, London.