The artwork titled “Still Life with Guitar, Book and Newspaper” was created by Juan Gris around the year 1919. This piece belongs to the Cubist art movement and is categorized as a still life. The composition exemplifies the analytical approach to form and space characteristic of Cubism, where objects are fragmented and reassembled to create an abstracted representation that plays with perspective.
In the artwork, we observe a guitar, a book, and a newspaper, which are depicted with a geometric abstraction that flattens the visual plane and breaks the conventional perspective. The guitar seems to be the central figure, compounded by a series of fragmented shapes that suggest its curves and strings. Above and around the guitar, one can discern the presence of a book, its pages perhaps fanned out, indicated by the staggered lines and shapes, as well as a newspaper, identifiable by the printed letters “LE JOURNAL” that appear on a flattened plane. The color palette is subdued, with shades of brown, blue, and gray, creating a harmonious yet muted atmosphere. The use of shading and gradation in some areas provides a sense of volume and depth within the overall flatness of the composition.
The artwork showcases Gris’ mastery in blending and reconstructing everyday objects through the Cubist lens, emphasizing form over detail, and showcasing his contribution to this revolutionary art movement.
