The artwork titled “A Bird Passing through a Cloud,” created by Georges Braque in 1957, is a lithograph on paper that measures 49 x 31 cm. As an example of animal painting within the Expressionism movement, it showcases Braque’s interpretation of the theme. The work is part of the collection held at the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, which is a notable repository of modern art.
This particular lithograph by Georges Braque exhibits a stylized bird in flight, navigating through the abstract shapes that represent a cloud. The colors are bold and distinct, with the use of a deep blue to delineate the bird, which contrasts sharply against the muted tones that appear to illustrate the cloud and the bright yellow background that brings a vividness to the scene. The bird’s eye is prominently marked with a white circle and a black dot at its center suggesting a focus or direction, and it’s bordered by sinuous lines that add a sense of fluid movement. Braque’s signature, featured on the bottom right of the artwork, adds to the authenticity of the piece. The artwork carries the hallmark of Braque’s later works, where he continued to explore themes of nature with a balanced abstraction that captures both form and emotion.