Wineglass Bottle of Bass (1914; France) by Georges Braque

Wineglass Bottle of Bass - Georges Braque - 1914; France

Artwork Information

TitleWineglass Bottle of Bass
ArtistGeorges Braque
Date1914; France
Mediumcollage,pencil,cardboard
Dimensions24 x 29 cm
Art MovementSynthetic Cubism

About Wineglass Bottle of Bass

The artwork titled “Wineglass Bottle of Bass” was created by the French artist Georges Braque in 1914. This piece, as a representation of the still life genre, is executed in collage with the use of pencil and cardboard, measuring 24 by 29 centimeters. It exemplifies the Synthetic Cubism movement, an artistic style that was centered around the construction of images from simpler shapes and incorporated various materials, playing on texture and form to expand upon the visual language of Cubism.

The composition of the artwork reveals a complex arrangement of shapes and forms that come together to suggest the objects after which the artwork is named—a bottle of Bass beer, a wine glass, and possibly a plate, all common in still life pieces. The cardboard fragments layered upon each other break down and rearrange these everyday objects into geometric forms, while the pencil adds detail and assists in defining the spatial relationships between the elements. Text, such as the word “BASS”, is incorporated directly into the composition, emphasizing the collage’s play on real-world elements and artistic representation. The muted color palette is restricted largely to the browns of the cardboard and the white and grays provided by the paper and pencil, a hallmark of the simplified color schemes often found in Synthetic Cubism. The textures of the cardboard and the smooth paper contrast with each other, further adding to the tactile quality of the work. Overall, the artwork is a masterful example of Synthetic Cubism’s aims to recompose reality into a constructed, artistically coherent form.

Other Artwork from Georges Braque

More Synthetic Cubism Artwork

Scroll to Top