SYNTHETIC CUBISM: CHARACTERISTICS, ARTISTS AND WORKS - ART - 2024

The synthetic cubism is one of the two tendencies had Cubist movement born in 1907, characterized by high vivacity of color, as opposed to the analytic cubism.

In general lines, in cubism, there was a superposition of the different planes in a single plane, as well as an emphasis on the geometric figure. Also, there was a kind of abolition of perspective.

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As a great movement, Cubism was one of the so-called "isms" of the 20th century. Essential figures took part in it, such as Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris. In this trend there is a line that will eventually lead to abstractionism.

Origin

Cubism must be understood as a movement of rupture. This means that the aesthetic line that prevailed before his arrival was essentially Renaissance. Likewise, the earlier trademark was figurative in nature, so that the coordinates of reality were not altered.

Despite this, movements prior to Cubism, such as Impressionism, already pointed to a different interpretation of light. Even the so-called neo-impressionism focused on a certain emphasis on geometric figures, an aspect that was characteristic in Cubism. The Signac and Seurat cases go in this direction.

In fact, in the so-called post-impressionism the line adopted by Paul Cézanne gave indications of a simplification of the objects represented. This was going in the direction of Cubism.

Africa, Middle and Far East

The contact of the West with cultures from Africa, the Middle and the Far East brought with it the appearance of exoticism in Western aesthetic experiences. This was already clearly seen in the symbolism of the nineteenth century.

However, it was some styles typical of the African continent that most emphatically determined the appearance of cubism. This influence, like that of Iberian sculpture, was key in this movement.

Another element that influenced his arrival was the discovery of photography as an expressive medium. This caused the painting to be free to explore other modalities that were not necessarily circumscribed to reality as it is.

Psychoanalysis and the theory of relativity

Additional aspects that led to the appearance of this movement were related to discoveries at the beginning of the 20th century. These were psychoanalysis and the theory of relativity as a new and different way of seeing the world. These also influenced the emergence of abstractionism and abstract expressionism.

Cubism

It is understood that the inaugural moment of Cubism occurred with Picasso's painting, The Young Ladies of Avignon, from 1907. In this piece an influence of an African, Egyptian and Iberian character is observed.

Analytical cubism

However, it must be taken into account that in 1907 the appearance of the so-called analytical cubism, also known as hermetic, took place. This early trend of Cubism had certain unique characteristics.

Of them, the mono chromaticism stood out above all, with a predominance of ocher and gray colors. Likewise, the objects depicted used to have indecipherable characteristics.

1911

However, the emergence of synthetic cubism occurred with a shift in the approach to analytical cubism. This was primarily related to color. Then, the mono chromaticism gave way to a kind of explosion of very vivid colors.

In itself, the synthetic phase of Cubism was initiated by George Braque with his work, The Portuguese, which dates from 1911.

characteristics

Below we will briefly mention the main characteristics of synthetic cubism:

Detachment from the figurative

A first aspect that differentiates Cubism is its detachment from the figurative. Even so, the referential forms that Cubism points to are of nature, but according to a compositional scheme based on geometric figures.

Polyhedral figures

The polyhedral figures assume a predominant role. In the same way, straight lines are imposed and there is, somehow, a fragmentation of the plane.

For this reason, in the favorite motifs of the Cubist painters, there was an emphasis on still lifes, as well as urban and still lifes.

Plane agglutination

The depth of the representation is replaced by an agglutination of the various planes or faces that make up the various objects. The traditional perspective disappears in pursuit of the so-called multiple perspective. There are also multiple light bulbs.

Colors and materials

The colors that predominated in Cubism during its first moment or analytical period were ocher and gray. However, this changed radically with Synthetic Cubism when more vivid colors were used.

Synthetic Cubism appealed to other types of materials, such as rubber or paper, when carrying out the composition. This gave rise to the appearance of collages.

Review

As a result of the difficulties to understand such pictorial representations that were far from the coordinates of the real world, the discourse of criticism took value.

At this historical moment, the fact that it is criticism that provides new readings to facilitate the understanding of a piece emerged for the first time. In this sense, Guillaume Apollinaire's essay, The Cubist Painters, from 1913 was very important.

Featured artists and their works

A number of creators were very prominent in Cubism. Among the main ones are Pablo Picasso, George Braque and Juan Gris.

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was born in Spain in 1881 and died in France in 1973. His artistic work was linked to both analytical and synthetic cubism. Likewise, it was part of the bohemian atmosphere of Paris at the beginning of the 20th century, with ties to the front page of the intelligentsia of that time.

His main works are Guernica, Life, The Three Musicians, The Young Ladies of Avignon, Portrait of Dora Maar, Ox Skull and the Bather sitting on the seashore.

George Braque

George Braque was a Frenchman who was born in 1882 and died in 1963. He was part not only of Cubism but also of Fauvism. His plastic work was focused on the human figure.

His main works were Woman with Mandolin, Violin and Jug, Mandola and Road near L'Estaque.

John Gray

For his part, Juan Gris was a Spanish artist who was born in 1887 and died in 1927. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of synthetic cubism.

His masterpieces include The Breakfast, Bottles and Knife, Violin and Guitar, Portrait of Pablo Picasso, Guitar and Pipe, Portrait of Josette and the Harlequin with Guitar.

The strength of the Cubist movement gradually dissolved as the First World War broke out. However, the influence of this movement was decisive for the rest of the trends of the 20th century.

References

1. Clark, T. (2013). Picasso and Truth: From Cubism to Guernica. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
2. Cottington, D. (2004). Cubism and Its Histories. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
3. Ganteführer-Trier, A. (2004). Cubism. London: Taschen.
4. Hicken, A. (2017). Apollinaire, Cubism and Orphism. London: Routledge.
5. Rubin, W. (1989). Picasso and Braque: pioneering cubism. New York: Museum of Modern Art, New York.