The artwork “Seated Woman” is a quintessential example of Cubist portraiture by the artist Juan Gris, dated 1917. Employing oil on panel as his medium, Gris contributes to the Cubist movement with this painting. The portrait is housed at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, Spain.
This artwork presents the viewer with a fragmented vision of a woman seated, a subject rendered in a style that is emblematic of the analytic phase of Cubism. In the composition, one can discern geometric shapes and planes that intersect and overlap, typical of Cubist artworks attempting to portray multiple perspectives simultaneously. The palette is somewhat subdued, relying on both cool and warm tones to model the figure and the surrounding space. The woman’s figure is abstracted into basic forms, and despite this, certain identifiable features such as what appears to be her face, hand, and possibly a suggestion of fashion elements, imbue the figure with a sense of personality and presence. The background and the figure interlock in a dance of shape and color, challenging the conventional perception of depth and form.
