Cubism is first of all, the story of a friendship, a deep friendship between Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, two artists so linked at a certain time that it was quite impossible to distinguish one’s art from the other’s. Picasso, who had expressed his revolutionary talent when he painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, is to be understood along with Braque in the wake of Cezanne. Both of these artists’novelty is contained firstly within their way of drawing a person or an object under different angles and secondly of including in the painting different elements such as wallpaper or newspapers which are glued in. They will set an example which will attract many followers; cubism will then spread across Europe at the very mon7ent that Braque and Picasso chose to free themselves from it.
This new Terrail book dedicated to cubism written by one of the leading art historians of the world, showcases 140 full-colored illustrations on the topic of the richest period in modern art.
IN 1907, PICASSO PAINTS LES DEMOISELLES D’AVIGNON. ONE YEAR LATER, CUBISM IS BORN, WITH HIS TWO LEADERS: GEORGES BRAQUE AND PABLO PICASSO.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF AN ADVENTURE WHICH CONSTITUTES A REAL REVOLUTION IN THE ART OF THE 20TH CENTURY. MANY GREAT TALENTS COME AFTER THE TANDEM BRAQUE/PICASSO: FIRST, FERNAND LEGER, JUAN GRIS, THEN ROBERT DELAUNAY, VILLON, MARCOUSSIS, MARIE LAURENClN, LHOTE, LA FRESNAYE, GLEIZES, METZINGER, PICABIA AND THE SCULPTORS BRANCUSI, ARCHIPENKO, LIPCHITZ, HENRI LAURENS. WITH THEM, CUBISM BECOMES ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MOVEMENTS IN ART HISTORY.
THIS IS HOW GEORGES BRAQUE DESCRIBES HIS CONCEPTION OF CUBISM: "WHAT PARTICULAR-LY ATTRACTED ME - AND THIS WAS THE MAIN BEARING OF CUBISM - WAS THE MATERIALISATION OF THIS NEW SPACE THAT I COULD FEEL. So I BEGAN TO CONCENTRATE ON STILL LIFES... THIS ANSWERED TO THE HANKERING I HAD ALWAYS HAD, TO TOUCH THINGS AND NOT MERELY SEE THEM... FOR THIS WAS THE FIRST CONCERN OF CUBISM, THE INVESTIGATION OF SPACE. COLOUR ONLY PLAYED A SMALL PART... LIGHT WAS THE ONLY ASPECT OF COLOUR THAT PREOCCUPIED US ...
1 The heroic years of cubism
2 The time eof the cubists
3 Cubism outside France
4 After cubism
5 The time of memory
Conclusion