“The Bottle of Anis del Mono,” a work by Juan Gris dating from 1914, epitomizes the Synthetic Cubism art movement. The artwork, which measures 41.8 by 24 centimeters, falls under the still life genre and presently belongs to a private collection.
The artwork showcases the complex geometry and interplay of shape and texture characteristic of Synthetic Cubism. It focuses on a bottle of the Spanish liqueur Anis del Mono, as the central element around which the composition is structured. Various planes and surfaces intersect and overlap, creating a fragmented, yet harmonious arrangement. The use of papier collé, a collage technique, suggests the incorporation of real material into the canvas—such as labels or printed text—which play with the illusion of depth and reality. Brown, gray, and white hues dominate the color scheme, punctuated by the label’s red and black accents.
The label on the bottle is noticeable for its detailed depiction, featuring text and an image of a monkey, the iconic symbol for the Anis del Mono brand. Soon apparent are the artist’s play with lettering and word fragments, such as “ANIS DEL” at the top and another text obscured by the label. The depiction of refracted light and shadow suggests the bottle’s cylindrical form. Both the surrounding space and the featured objects are broken into facets, contributing to a sense of depth despite the flatness of the collage elements.
