The artwork entitled “Bottle and Glass on a Table” was created by the artist Juan Gris in the year 1914. It is an oil on canvas piece, measuring 61.5 by 38.5 cm. It represents the Synthetic Cubism art movement and falls within the genre of still life. Currently, this piece is part of a private collection.
The artwork showcases the distinctive characteristics of Synthetic Cubism, a phase where artists combined multiple viewpoints into a single plane or composition, giving a fragmented and abstracted form to the depicted objects. The composition features a bottle and a glass, though these familiar items are broken down into geometric shapes and planes, reassembled in a manner that plays with perception. A diverse palette of colors is employed, from warm brown and ochre tones to cool blues, contrasting with areas of white and black. Texture is simulated through the painting, and the background consists of patterned elements that imbue the artwork with a sense of depth. Despite the fragmented nature, the objects retain just enough of their original form to be recognizable. The integration of letters and numbers in stylized fonts can also be seen, which is common in Cubist works, adding further dimensionality and complexity to the piece. The entire composition reflects Gris’s contemplation on the nature of form and his willingness to challenge the conventional representation of objects in space.
