CUBISM

A REVOLUTIONARY ART MOVEMENT

WHAT IS CUBISM ?
● Cubism was a revolutionary new approach to
representing reality invented in around
1907–08 by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges
Braque.
● They brought different views of subjects
(usually objects or figures) together in the
same picture, resulting in paintings that
appear fragmented and abstracted.
● This innovative style had a profound impact
on the art world, influencing not only painting
and sculpture but also architecture, literature,
and design.
● Cubism paved the way for abstract art and
laid the foundation for modernism, forever
changing the course of art history.
 WHAT INFLUENCED CUBISM?
Cubism, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in the early 20th century, was influenced
by several key factors:

1. Paul Cézanne's Artistic Approach

○ Cézanne's emphasis on geometric simplification and multiple perspectives inspired
Cubists to deconstruct objects into basic shapes.
theartstory.org
2. African and Iberian Art
○ Exposure to African masks and Iberian sculptures led artists to adopt simplified,
angular forms, evident in works like Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.
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3. Modernity and Industrialization
○ The rapid changes of the modern world prompted artists to break from traditional
perspectives, aiming to capture the dynamism of contemporary life.
Cubism vs. Traditional Art

Traditional Art Cubism

Represents reality Abstract representation

Uses perspective to Rejects perspective and

create a depicts objects from
three-dimensional multiple viewpoints
effect

Emphasizes color, Focuses on geometric

shading, and detail shapes and lines
Timeline Of Cubism Art Movement
1. Pre-Cubism/Proto-Cubism (1906–1909)

This phase laid the intellectual foundation for Cubism, blending influences from several sources:

Influences: Paul Cézanne's late works, which simplified natural forms into geometric shapes (cones,
cylinders, spheres).

Iberian sculpture and African tribal masks, which introduced stylized, abstract facial features.

Post-Impressionism, especially the structural focus of Cézanne and the bold colors of Fauvism.
Fauvism was an art movement that began in France in the early 20th century. It was characterized by bold
colors, loose brushwork, and simplified forms.

Key Artists: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Henri Matisse (indirectly).

Key Characteristics: Simplification of forms into geometric shapes.

Distortion of figures and abandonment of naturalistic depictions.

Strong outlines with less attention to realistic proportions.

Key Works: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907) – Picasso’s groundbreaking

piece with fragmented, angular female figures.
2. Analytical Cubism (1909–1912)

Analytical Cubism was the first formal phase of the movement, developed primarily by Picasso and Braque.

Influences: The Industrial Revolution’s geometric and mechanical aesthetics influenced artists.

The desire to deconstruct reality and understand objects beyond their surface appearance.

Key Characteristics: Subjects are broken down into facets and planes.

Use of monochromatic, earthy colors (browns, grays, greens, ochres).

Objects are analyzed from different angles and reassembled abstractly.

Overlapping planes create an illusion of transparency and depth without using

perspective.

Key Works: Picasso’s Portrait of Ambroise Vollard (1910) – highly fragmented

depiction of the art dealer.
3. Synthetic Cubism (1912–1914)

Synthetic Cubism introduced new materials and a broader color palette,

moving toward abstraction and conceptual art.

Influences: The invention of collage and the influence of mass media.

The introduction of non-art materials into fine art blurred boundaries

between art and life.

Key Characteristics:

Brighter colors compared to Analytical Cubism.

Use of mixed media (e.g., newspaper clippings,patterned paper,fabric)

Shapes became flatter and more simplified

Key Works: Still Life with Chair Caning (1912) – Picasso (first artwork to
use collage).

The Guitar (1913) – Picasso.

Cubism significantly impacted architecture by introducing a radical shift towards abstract, fragmented forms
and geometric shapes, challenging traditional design aesthetics with bold, non-linear structures, primarily
through its emphasis on multiple perspectives, deconstructed forms, and the use of geometric planes, leading to
a more experimental and visually dynamic approach to building design.

Key aspects of Cubism's influence on architecture:

Geometric Facades: Buildings Multiple Perspectives: Architects

began to feature faceted, incorporated the Cubist idea of
geometric surfaces that broke presenting multiple viewpoints
away from smooth, curved forms, simultaneously, leading to buildings
creating a more angular and with seemingly overlapping planes
dynamic appearance. and complex spatial relationships.
Structural Innovation: While not Abstraction and Fragmentation:
always directly translated into Cubism's focus on deconstructing
structural design, the Cubist forms led to architectural elements
approach encouraged architects to being fragmented and
think outside the box and explore reassembled in new ways, creating
new ways of utilizing materials and a sense of visual complexity.
form.

Transparency and Openness: By

utilizing overlapping planes,
architects could create a sense of
transparency within the building,
allowing for more open and
interconnected spaces.
Key Features of Cubist Architecture:

1. Geometric Abstraction – Buildings often feature sharp angles, overlapping

planes, and a sculptural quality.
2. Multiple Perspectives – Facades appear fragmented or layered, giving the
illusion of depth and movement.
3. Asymmetry – Unlike traditional symmetrical designs, Cubist architecture
embraces irregularity.
4. Minimal Ornamentation – The emphasis is on form rather than decorative
details.
5. Use of Concrete and Glass – These materials allow for bold, sculptural
shapes and dynamic facades.
1. House of the Black Madonna (1912,
Prague, Czech Republic) – Josef Gočár

● Cubist Features:
○ The building has sharp angular
forms and geometric decoration,
particularly in its staircases and
windows.
○ The facade uses protruding and
recessed planes to create a sense
of depth and movement.
○ Inside, Cubist furniture and
lighting fixtures reinforce the
artistic style.

Why it’s Cubist?

It applies the fragmented, multi-perspective
approach of Cubist painting to a
three-dimensional structure, making it one of the
first examples of Cubist architecture.
2. Kovařovic Villa (1912–1913,
Prague, Czech Republic) – Josef
Chochol

● Cubist Features:
○ The villa’s facade is made up
of diagonal planes and
geometric shapes, breaking
from traditional symmetry.
○ Strong angular lines create a
sculptural effect, resembling
facets of a gemstone.
○ Windows and decorative
elements integrate Cubist
abstraction.

Why it’s Cubist?

Unlike traditional smooth-walled houses, this
building is structured with sharp geometric
cuts, mimicking the fragmented reality seen
in Cubist paintings.
3. The Cubist Lamp Post (1913,
Prague, Czech Republic) – Emil
Králíček

● Cubist Features:
○ The design incorporates
triangular and
diamond-shaped patterns,
resembling a fractured crystal.
○ The lamp post has a faceted,
sculptural look, making it an
urban example of Cubism in
public spaces.

Why it’s Cubist?

It takes the Cubist art style beyond
paintings and buildings, applying it to urban
infrastructure.
Cubist Chair by Pavel Janák (1911)

● Cubist Features:
○ The chair features angular legs
and armrests that form a faceted,
crystalline shape.
○ The seat and backrest appear as
if they have been “cut” from a
larger geometric form, rather than
traditionally constructed.
○ It avoids traditional curves,
favoring sharp edges and
unexpected angles.

Why it’s Cubist?

It transforms a common furniture piece into an
abstract sculptural object, much like how Cubist
painters deconstructed reality into geometric
planes.
Cubist Cabinet by Josef Gočár
(1913)

● Cubist Features:
○ The cabinet’s surface is
broken into multiple
geometric planes, almost like
a 3D Cubist painting.
○ It avoids symmetry and
typical rectangular shapes,
making the piece feel
dynamic and asymmetrical.
○ The angular handles and
faceted woodwork emphasize
fragmentation and
abstraction.

Why it’s Cubist?

It challenges the idea that furniture must be
purely functional by making it an artistic,
sculptural object.
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