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Braque and Marcoussis

The emergence of Cubism in the early 20th century marked a turning point in the history of art. This new style, popularized by artists including Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, radically transformed traditional artistic concepts in a way that was pleasingly abstract and ambiguous. Two paintings, Braque’s Fox of 1911 and Louis Marcoussis’ Still Life of 1926, exemplify the characteristics of Cubism as it evolved as an artistic convention.
One of the most important attributes of Cubist painting is its paradoxical nature. At first glance, the works appear senseless and incomprehensible. For example, in Braque’s Fox the outline of a heart and rectangle form a playing card. Identifying this seemingly random arrangement of shape and form requires careful consideration. Composition within the space of the canvas is unnatural. At once, forms seem to dissolve into surrounding open areas on the canvas, while converging into the mass of the still life arrangement. Fox is also an exce...

Posted by: Novelett Roberts

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