Cubism
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Period: c. 1907 – 1914/1920s CE (Key phases: Analytic & Synthetic) Region: Originated in Paris, France; internationally influential
Overview & Key Characteristics
Developed primarily by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in Paris between about 1907 and 1914, Cubism stands as one of the most revolutionary movements in 20th-century art. It fundamentally challenged traditional modes of representation that had dominated Western art since the Renaissance. Instead of depicting objects from a single, fixed viewpoint, Cubism sought to represent subjects by analyzing them into geometric forms and showing them from multiple viewpoints simultaneously. This resulted in fragmented, abstract compositions that rejected illusionistic depth and conventional perspective. The movement evolved through two main phases: Analytic Cubism, characterized by its dissection of form and near-monochromatic palette, and Synthetic Cubism, which involved building up images from flattened shapes, introducing brighter colors, and pioneering the use of collage (papier collé). Cubism represented a highly intellectual approach to depicting the structure of objects and space.
Summary of Common Characteristics:
| Feature | Characteristic Description (Cubism) |
|---|---|
| Light | Non-naturalistic & Fragmented: Light often used arbitrarily to define shifting planes, not to model volume realistically. Consistent light sources and atmospheric effects are abandoned. |
| Surface/Texture | Analytic: Faceted surfaces suggesting shallow, overlapping planes. Synthetic: Introduction of real-world textures through collage elements (newspaper, wallpaper, wood grain paper) combined with paint. |
| Figures/Objects | Fragmented, Geometricized, Abstracted: Objects broken down into basic geometric shapes (cubes, cones, cylinders). Shown from multiple angles at once, analyzed and reconstructed. |
| Space/Depth | Flattened, Compressed, Ambiguous: Rejects traditional linear perspective. Space is often shallow, with background and foreground merging. Multiple viewpoints disrupt a fixed sense of depth. |
| Color Palette | Analytic Phase (c. 1909-12): Subdued & Monochromatic: Dominated by browns, grays, ochres, black, and white, emphasizing structural analysis over color. Synthetic Phase (c. 1912 onwards): Reintroduction of brighter, flatter areas of unmodulated color. |
| Composition | Complex, Interlocking Planes: Built from fragmented geometric shapes. Often features a central subject deconstructed and integrated with its surroundings. Grid-like structures may appear (Analytic). Simpler, constructed shapes (Synthetic). |
| Details/Lines | Specific details often eliminated. Emphasis on lines and edges defining geometric facets and intersecting planes. In Synthetic Cubism, lines can be part of collage or drawn elements defining shapes. |
| Mood/Emotion | Primarily Analytical, Intellectual, Formal, Objective (in approach). Focuses on problems of perception, representation, and pictorial structure rather than overt emotional expression. |
| Subject Matter | Traditional genres like Still Lifes (musical instruments, bottles, glasses, newspapers very common), Portraits, Figures, and early on, Landscapes – all subjected to Cubist deconstruction. Subject often serves as a starting point for formal exploration. |
Key Phases:
- Early / Proto-Cubism (c. 1907-1909): Influenced by Cézanne and African art; beginnings of fragmentation (Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon).
- Analytic Cubism (c. 1909-1912): Intense analysis of form, breaking objects down into complex geometric facets, near-monochromatic palette (Picasso, Braque working closely).
- Synthetic Cubism (c. 1912-1914 onwards): Building images from simpler shapes, introducing collage elements (papier collé), brighter colors, and textures.
Historical Context & Influences
Cubism emerged in the vibrant artistic milieu of pre-World War I Paris:
- Avant-Garde Culture: Paris was a center for artistic experimentation and exchange.
- Technological & Scientific Change: Rapid changes like the advent of cinema and flight, along with new scientific ideas (like Einstein's theories of relativity, though direct influence is debatable), potentially contributed to new ways of thinking about space, time, and perception.
- Interest in Non-Western Art: Continued fascination with the formal power and abstraction of African, Iberian, and Oceanic art.
Influences: Key influences on Cubism include:
- Paul Cézanne: His late work, with its emphasis on geometric underpinnings of nature, passage (blending planes), and multiple viewpoints, was crucial. Picasso called him "the father of us all."
- African & Iberian Sculpture: Valued for its abstract forms, conceptual representation, and expressive power (clearly visible in Les Demoiselles d'Avignon).
- Georges Seurat: His geometric structuring of compositions may also have been an influence.
- A reaction against the perceived lack of formal structure in Impressionism and the purely subjective color of Fauvism.
Key Artists & Their Contributions
- Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) & Georges Braque (1882-1963): The co-inventors and principal figures of Cubism. Their intense collaboration, especially during the Analytic phase (1909-1912), was fundamental to the movement's development. Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) is seen as the seminal work leading to Cubism. Both artists pioneered Analytic and Synthetic phases, including the introduction of collage.
- Juan Gris (1887-1927): Spanish painter who joined the movement slightly later. Considered the "third Cubist," he brought clarity, structure, and often brighter color to Synthetic Cubism.
- Fernand Léger (1881-1955): Developed a distinctive style sometimes called "Tubism" due to his emphasis on cylindrical, machine-like forms, reflecting an interest in modern technology within a Cubist framework.
- Robert Delaunay (1885-1941) & Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979): Developed Orphism (or Orphic Cubism), a more abstract and colorful offshoot focusing on pure geometric forms and the interaction of colors ("simultaneity").
- Jean Metzinger (1883-1956) & Albert Gleizes (1881-1953): Associated with the "Salon Cubists" who exhibited more publicly; they co-authored the first major theoretical text on the movement, Du "Cubisme" (1912).
Notable Works
- Picasso: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Portrait of Ambroise Vollard, Ma Jolie (Woman with a Guitar), Still Life with Chair Caning, Guitar (assemblage sculpture), Three Musicians.
- Braque: Houses at L'Estaque, Violin and Palette, Man with a Guitar, Fruit Dish and Glass, Bottle, Newspaper, Pipe and Glass.
- Gris: Portrait of Picasso, Violin and Checkerboard, Still Life with Checked Tablecloth.
- Léger: Contrast of Forms, The Card Players, The City.
- Robert Delaunay: Eiffel Tower series, Simultaneous Windows on the City.
- Sonia Delaunay: Bal Bullier, simultaneous designs (fashion, textiles).
Legacy and Influence
Cubism's impact on 20th-century art and beyond is almost impossible to overstate:
- It fundamentally altered the relationship between art and reality, breaking from centuries of illusionistic representation.
- Introduced revolutionary concepts like multiple viewpoints, geometric abstraction, and the integration of object and background.
- Pioneered collage and assemblage as legitimate artistic techniques.
- Demonstrated that a painting or sculpture could be an object constructed according to its own internal logic, not just a window onto the world.
- Directly spawned or influenced numerous other modern art movements, including Futurism, Orphism, Constructivism, Vorticism, De Stijl, and aspects of Surrealism and Dada. Its principles echoed through abstract art, sculpture, architecture, and design throughout the 20th century.