What do Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Georges Braque, Robert Delaunay, and Andre Lhote all have in common? Each of them was involved in the Cubism Art Movement. A revolutionary movement in the early 20th century, Cubism was pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Not only did Cubism transform painting and sculpture, it also inspired music, literature, and architecture. Cubist artists strived to challenge traditional forms of art and perspective. They wanted to take a radical approach to art and extend the boundaries of sight. Emphasizing the dimensions of the canvas, Cubism quickly became one of the most popular and influential art movements of the 20th century. Here at Affordable Art 101, we put together a small list of a few of our Cubism prints to help us explore the different types of Cubism in art.
Pablo Picasso "Les musiciens" color pochoir
Out of the four Picasso pochoirs from the Eugenio d’Ors suite,
the Three Musicians is the most sought-after. Although the Three Musicians was one of his later Cubist compositions, it was an important piece in Synthetic Cubism. Synthetic Cubism focused on using other materials – such as newspapers and colored paper – to create a collage. Using bright colors, Synthetic Cubism offered a lighthearted mood to the movement. Picasso eventually moved toward a more abstract type of Cubism, while still flirting with bits and pieces of reality. Although he played with the idea of removing the third dimension like several other Cubists, he never became a pure abstract artist and soon returned to traditionalism.
Fernand Leger lithograph "Les trois soeurs" edition of 1000
The Three Sisters was printed in 1952 by Mourlot Freres on Arches paper and published in Paris in an edition of 1000 for the “La Figure dans L’Oeuvre de Leger” exhibition. Instead of using a collage form like Picasso, Fernand Leger focused more on developing a “machine art” style due to his interest in industrial technology. In this piece, he created three women characterized by highly mechanistic forms and bold colors, while still being concerned with their detail and geometrics. The Three Sisters is enhanced by subtle shading and a uniform visual.
Juan Gris pochoir "Le Compotier"
Le Compotier is truly a gorgeous example of Juan Gris’
unique Cubist style. He created a personal style of Analytical Cubism, focusing on geometric fragments without the typical overlap of planes. In Analytical Cubism, the artist would break up the subject of their painting into different blocks to create contrasting viewpoints. Juan Gris was considered a highly consistent and dedicated artist in the Cubism Movement. Le Compotier used everyday objects and created a more simplified and stylized version of them.
Robert Delaunay "La fenetre No. 2" color pochoir
This gorgeous piece is a part of his
windows series (1912-1914), in which he was slowly moving towards a more abstract style. This Windows piece is a stunning representation of the interaction between light and color. Delaunay accredited direct observation of nature and color as two of the major influences to his Cubist style. The Windows creates a sense of rhythm with its use of bright, solid colors. Delaunay wrote several pieces on color and how he believed that color has its own power of perception and expression, which is evident in this beautiful print.
In the Cubism Art Movement, traditional subjects were often transformed to create a new pioneering art form. Cubism created a new vision of art and inspired movements all over the world. For more Cubism prints, check out the complete selection at Affordable Art 101.
