OVERVIEW OF CUBISM

As you saw in the previous lesson, artists in the twentieth century were moving further away from representational art and becoming more abstract with each successive movement. Expressionists such as Kandinsky turned to geographic shapes and abstract designs to convey meaning.

Musical instruments appear often in Cubist paintings due to their uniquely geometrical designs. Cubism, founded in Paris during the beginning of the twentieth century, grew out of frustration with the more realistic forms of art of the late nineteenth century. It was considered one of the landmarks of the beginning of the modernist movement that was centered in Paris and that tried to radically redefine a variety of art forms. Picasso was considered the ultimate modern artist.

Paul Cézanne, who recognized that all things in nature were rounded, placed emphasis on underlying geometric forms in the structures of his landscapes. In Cubist paintings, the shapes of cubes and cones became even more pronounced, objects were viewed from different angles, and the painters did not attempt to show the way objects really look to the eye.

Unlike the Fauvists, who were striving for emotional effects and who used color to ravish the eye, the Cubists typically worked in monochrome or in direct contrast with the colorful works that came before.

Still Life on a Table

Cubism is important in art history because it signals the beginning of a trend toward abstract art.

Picasso was the most important Cubist painter.

PABLO PICASSO

The Spanish artist took abstraction to new levels. Picasso was constantly searching for innovative ways to express himself. He was never satisfied or complacent, but continued to challenge himself throughout his long career. He had two "periods" before Cubism: a blue period and a rose period, where his works featured those colors; however, his innovations are most apparent in Cubism.

A prolific and talented painter, Picasso was influenced by Paul Cézanne's work as well as by primitive art and African sculpture. Combining the directness of primitive art with Cézanne's use of form and space, Picasso created a new artistic style in his groundbreaking picture Les Demoiselles D'Avignon . It was considered the first "modern" painting.

The term cubism was coined by an art critic after he saw the work of Picasso and Braque. Their landscapes painted in 1908 were made of little cubes.

Notice the monochromatic color scheme and the way the shapes obscure the objects in the painting by Braque.

LET'S REVIEW!

In this lesson, you have covered the following topics:

• Cubism developed in the early twentieth century as works became less representational

• Pablo Picasso dominated Cubism and continued to challenge expectations by always searching for innovative means of expression

Take the following quiz before moving on.