The artwork titled “Photograph of The Guitar” was created by the artist Juan Gris in 1918. Gris employed oil on canvas to bring this piece to life, measuring 81 by 59.5 cm. It is an exemplary piece of the Synthetic Cubism movement, exhibiting the characteristics typical of this art movement through its still life genre. Currently, the artwork is held in a private collection, indicating that it is not on public display.
The artwork presents a complex arrangement of geometric shapes and fragmented objects that coalesce to form the semblance of a guitar at its center. The predominant palette is made up of earth tones punctuated by shades of blue and white, which contribute to the image’s sense of depth and dimensionality. Gris has masterfully overlapped and intertwined various planes and surfaces, exemplifying the synthetic aspect of Cubism by combining different elements and textures to create a unified composition.
Angles and lines intersect, guiding the viewer’s eye across the canvas, while the guitar’s curves provide a soft counterpoint to the otherwise angular composition. The interaction of light and shade adds to the three-dimensional quality, making the guitar appear both as part of the table it rests upon and as a distinct object in space. With its meticulous construction and intriguing use of color and form, the artwork is a prime instance of the innovative spirit that defines synthetic cubist artworks.
