The artwork entitled “Still Life with Bottle of Rum” was created by Pablo Picasso in 1911. It is an oil on canvas painting that is categorized within the art movement known as Analytical Cubism. The genre of this piece is still life. This particular work exemplifies the characteristics of the movement, engaging the viewer with its complex and fragmented forms.
The artwork presents a composition that breaks down objects into geometric shapes and intertwining planes, typical of the Analytical Cubism style. The color palette is subdued, consisting mainly of earthy tones which contribute to the dense and interlaced appearance of the depicted subjects. Light and shadow are employed to create a sense of depth within the flat, two-dimensional space, and to aid in the viewer’s interpretation of the overlapped and dissected forms. Words and letters that emerge on the surface further challenge the observer to decipher the overlaid objects traditionally found in a still life.
Picasso’s technique during this phase of his career involved analyzing the structure of objects and then reassembling them on the canvas to depict multiple viewpoints simultaneously. This approach gives the artwork a fragmented look, encouraging a deeper engagement as ones’ eye navigates through the disrupted continuity of shapes and forms. Despite the complexity, there is a rhythm and balance to the composition, which holds together the scattered elements in a cohesive whole. The bottle of rum, the focal object, is discernible but dissected, its form echoing amongst the surrounding shapes, much like a motif that appears repeatedly in varying degrees of recognizability throughout the canvas.
