The Portrait of Josette Gris is a Cubism painting by Juan Gris in 1916. In the artwork, Josette is seen sitting on a chair in front of a wooden panelled wall. This portrait is an indication of the shift in Cubism towards traditional paintings. Juan Gris was interested in painting figures, which prompted him to look towards the great masters of the past for inspiration. Josette herself posed for the painting, which was created by her partner.
Juan Gris’s painting exemplifies the direction of Cubism towards traditional paintings of the past. The artwork is a blend of modernism and history, where the artist used traditional colors and techniques to create a modern masterpiece. This portrait shows Gris’s fascination with painting figures, which was new to Cubism at that time. As a result, he looked towards the great masters of the past for inspiration on how to portray Josette.
The painting is part of the Douglas Cooper Bequest donated to the Prado Museum in 1979. The portrait’s simplistic structure and color scheme make it an essential piece in the artistic movement’s history. The portrait displays a shift from shape and form to more humanistic features like the curve of her back and the shape of her face. It is a significant example of Cubism’s progression towards a more traditional approach in painting.
