The artwork “Bottle, Newspaper, Pipe and Glass” by Georges Braque is a notable example of Synthetic Cubism, executed in 1914 in France. The medium is an assemblage of chalk, charcoal, collage, pastel, and paper, measuring 47.9 x 65 cm. This still life is currently housed within a private collection.
The artwork presents a complex arrangement of objects that are intricately overlaid and intersecting, characteristic of Cubism’s fragmented approach to form and space. Various textures and materials are visible in the composition, including the printed text of a newspaper, which adds a tactile dimension and a sense of the everyday to the work. The use of neutral and earth tones with subtle highlights creates a harmony within the disjointed forms, inviting contemplation of the ordinary objects transformed by the artist’s innovative style. Braque’s signature is modestly placed towards the bottom right, integrating seamlessly into the overall balance of the composition.