The artwork “Tenora” by Georges Braque was completed in 1913 and is an example of Synthetic Cubism. This oil on canvas measures 95.2 by 120 cm. It embodies the still life genre and is housed at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, New York, USA. Georges Braque created this piece in France, contributing to the evolving art movements of the early twentieth century.
“Tenora” illustrates the distinct characteristics of Synthetic Cubism, where instead of dissecting objects into fragments, Braque constructed the still life by combining various elements and textures to suggest a composite view of an object. The artwork is composed of a multitude of shapes and planes which intersect and overlap, creating a sense of depth on the flat canvas surface. Colors are subdued and limited, favoring browns, beiges, and whites, enhancing the work’s compositional unity.
One can observe the interplay of geometric purity with the materiality of the painted surface. The presence of a piece of faux woodgrain wallpaper and stenciled letters adds an element of reality to the abstract composition, a technique pioneered by Cubist artists to blur the line between painted space and real space. Overall, “Tenora” is a quintessential example of how Cubism transformed the representation of reality in art, exemplifying Braque’s exploration of visual perception through the use of fragmented forms and integrated text and pattern.
