Art Gallery: Cubism and Surrealism
Cubism and Surrealism
Due to limited space, I have combined Picasso's later works, the art of War, and works of neoclassical and surrealism into this one page. As the most famous art period in modern days, Picasso's Cubism made him prosperous. But many people still feel that Picasso's paintings are overvalued, especially the price. Picasso's Cubism was affordable as a product of an innovative era. And this pure work of art is suitable for home decoration. Cubism could be more three-dimensional. Stereo is a visual effect produced by perspective, making people think of 3-dimensional things on 2-dimensional paper. But Picasso's words omit perspective, so his paintings do not have the concept of "things closer to you are bigger." People call Picasso's paintings Cubism because his paintings are composed of many irregular shapes, thus illusory simulating the effect of three-dimensional space. For Picasso, painting was not an aesthetic process but a kind of magic, a means of gaining power over our fears and desires.
Les Femmes d'Alger, 1955
This painting is one of the greatest cubism paintings Picasso ever made. There were two more versions before he created the final version. In the first version, Picasso has taken the liberty to reposition the reclining girl in the center and increase her size. One can observe a nod to Matisse's contentious Blue Nude by examining her posture. This version is also the most exaggerated generation of human body structure. In this generation, everyone's bodies are hyperbolic and distorted, but their faces are all clear. As the process moved on, Picasso created unique variations for each. Certain pieces contain abstract characteristics, while others incorporate more realistic elements. The artwork on display showcases a predominance of somber tones, and the female figures appear to blend seamlessly with the geometric backdrop. The structure of the human body is more angular, which makes the picture more three-dimensional. In addition, Picasso added more colors, and the picture is no longer as monotonous as the first painting, with many more layers. "The final work in the cycle is a complete spectacle of color and form. We can see Cubist fractured forms, flat planes, and a distorted sense of depth. The bright and strong flat color patches are in turn, a clear reference to Matisse's colorful cut-outs. In 1997 it was sold at Christie's for $31,902,500…" (Michalska).
Initial Version
Later Version
Guernica, 1937
The 11 feet tall, 25 feet wide painting gives people pure visual shock after seeking this. Picasso created the painting in rage and depression after seeing how the civil war ruined his country. There was a bomb dropped intentionally in Guernica, which killed many innocents, flattening the ground. Journalist Emma Mason commented a century later, "This was a new kind of warfare that ensured that his despatch would have an alarming impact on both sides of the Atlantic." Picasso initially did not want to incorporate political factors into his paintings. However, after seeing the devastating massacre in Guernica, Picasso was greatly stimulated. He also joined the French Communist Party a few years later because Picasso found that the creed of communism seemed to promote peaceful development. Because of his political stance, Picasso was also questioned by the opposition site and scorned by capitalism.
Nevertheless, Guernica is considered one of the most incredible arts throughout history. In Picasso's work, he replaced bombs with light bulbs. Under the light, a woman pokes her head out of the window in panic, a woman on the street screams up to the sky, and a woman trapped in the house screams with the last of her strength. Their hands are misplaced and twisted, highlighting the chaotic atmosphere and everyone's uneasiness. Not only human beings but also sudden disasters torture animals. The horse neighs from the wound the knife has inflicted. The pigeons have been cut in half, and peace has left Spain. The bull "evokes the fight between man and beast. Without a doubt, we can see the incarnation of Spanish Nationalist and Totalitarian regimes in this animal" ("Artwork Analysis").
Nude, Green Leaves and Bust, 1932
The naked woman in Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust is Marie-Thérèse Walter. At 17, Walter was in his youth when Picasso found her standing out and invited her to be his model. Walter, to her surprise, also agreed to Picasso's request. Picasso was married at the time and had a son. Nevertheless, his nature made Picasso dissatisfied with an easy life, and taking care of his wife and children made Picasso feel bored. He lost his creative inspiration. Walter was the ray of light that saved Picasso. “My life with him was always secret,” Marie-Thérèse said. “Calm and peaceful. We said nothing to anyone. We were happy like that, and we did not ask anything more” ("Muse, lover, lifeblood"). The paintings below are some other art Picasso did for Walter.
Marie-Thérèse in a detail from The Dream, 1932
Picasso’s Portrait of Marie-Thérèse in a Red Beret , 1937
Cubism gives a grotesque feeling, human figures are a bit like the ancient Egyptian frescoes, but both eyes are on the face. Moreover, this is why Picasso is a master because things in his eyes are different from ours.
Maya with a Doll and a Wooden Horse, 1938
The Weeping Woman, 1937
Picasso created The Weeping Woman in 1937, the same year he created Guernica. It is a product of the Spanish Civil War. Picasso's inspiration for his war paintings is from photos taken by Dora Maar. "She was also Picasso's romantic partner, sometimes described as his "mistress" and "muse" The painting depicts a woman holding her dead child in her arms, the hand-colored in blue is the dead body. Blue is the color that symbolizes death, depression, and despair.
Furthermore, the death of her child is what the Spanish Civil War gave to civilians. The mother can symbolize all people who suffer from war. "The composition is highly fragmented and angular, notably in the center of the crying woman's face where her hands, mouth, nose, handkerchief, and eyes meet" ("The Weeping Woman"). When we examine a human portrait, the eyes are always outstanding. In this one, the mother's eye looks so confused and chaotic, maybe blurred by tears, maybe terrified by war.
Two other versions of The Weeping Woman, they all use the same name and created by Picasso in 1937
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 1907
This art is the first Cubism work Picasso ever did, and it is a sign of the beginning of one era. The painting shows five naked women making flirting poses. Like many other libertine artists at the start of the 20th century, Picasso planned to include either a male consumer or himself in the painting. It is hard to speculate the meaning behind this art, and the women's careers and gender seem ambiguous. The women in the middle reveal their feminine breasts, yet the women on the side do not show much of their bodies, and their faces are twisted and lack female characteristics. "Actually looking at the picture means moving constantly from one facet to another; it never lets you settle on one resolved perception." Furthermore, the girls are looking at the viewers, giving us a perspective that they have higher status than us. The art was initially considered blasphemy because Picasso portrays women as a libertine, and there is a vital sex element in Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Until the end of the first world war, people figured Picasso's work was a masterpiece ("Jones").
Girl with a Mandolin, 1910
This painting can be categorized as synthetic cubism. It is a cubism style of doing art with layered newspaper and advertising paper.
Jacqueline with flowers, 1954
Jacqueline was the second wife for Pablo Picasso.
Algerian women, 1955
Portrait of Ambroise Vollard, 1910
Portrait of Dora Maar, 1937
She is the one taking photographs for Picasso, including the catastrophe in Guernica.
Studio (Pigeons) (Velazquez), 1957
Guitar (I love Eva), 1912
Guitar, Glass and Bottle of Vieux Marc, 1912
Head of a man with hat, 1912
Clarinet and Violin, 1913
Woman with spanish dress, 1917
The student, 1917
The dance, 1925
Large nude in red armchair, 1929
Pierrot and Harlequin, 1920
Figures at the Seaside, 1931
Unlike another Spanish artist Dalí, Picasso is not known for his surrealist works. Dalí and Picasso made massive contributions to modern art, and humans worshiped their artworks for centuries. However, their relationship remains a mystery, "The two men first met in 1926 when Dalí visited Picasso's studio in Paris. It was the beginning of a complicated friendship, seasoned with rivalry and some fierce political views" (Weinberg).
Three Musicians, 1921
Woman with flower, 1932
The mirror, 1932
Portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter with garland, 1937