#7. Cubism

Three Women by Fernand Leger is made in 1921. I guess that this painting is influenced by Cubism. Around 1919, he worked Cubism with friends congenial to him. But his Cubism is not like existing conversant Cubist. His Cubism is fidelity to Cubism principles than originator such as Picasso and Braque. Cubism is a style of art, begun in the early twentieth century, in which objects are represented as if they could be seen from several different positions at the same time, using many lines and geometric shapes. But Leger made his object to cylinder and tube shape. When we first look at this painting, it could give little cold impression. But as we see, three figures pose is classic. According to Stokstad, In Leger’s painting, the women’s forms are constructed from large machinelike planes arranged in an asymmetrical geometric grid that both embodies a cool Classicism and suggests an arrangement of plumbing part. Also, he used bright colors to make fantastic plumbing. Abundant colors and patterns show an orderly industrial society.

Les Demoiselles D’Avignon by Pablo Picasso is made in 1907. This painting is beginning point of Cubism. Also, this painting is one of the most radical and complex paintings in the twentieth century (Stokstad 1023). In the painting, there are five women’s nudes and they all are prostitutes in Avignon. Composition is unique. Women’s body, fabric, curtain, and background is not bound by perspective. And all the things are mixed in one page. In the bottom side, fruits and table have different viewpoint than viewpoint to women. But, all the figures are not made with a cube. On the right side, two women’s faces have African references masklike faces. Also, the colors what Picasso used is really unique. He used basic skin color but also he added different colors as well. We only can recognize five women but we do not know about background or behind story of this painting.

I think that Cubism style artwork is really creative. Before the Cubism, all the artists follow the basic rule of painting. I guess that some of artist wanted to make creative or different artworks such as mannerism. In the mannerism period, artist-drawing style is same as tradition but composition and colors are really challengeable and unique. Also, at that time, mannerism artworks also gave shocked to people and had harsh criticism. But they could not depart from the standard pattern. Typical artwork drew three-dimensional object on the two-dimensional canvas, Cubism artwork drew tree-dimensional object to make as two-dimensional page on the two-dimensional canvas. I can imagine that after see this painting, how people got shocked in that period. I think that Picasso is really brilliant and creative person. He is not afraid of challenges and he made his works as great work. One of attraction of Cubism is that we can imagine anything with what we saw. Because of Picasso, we can see the challenging and creative things in our life. I guess that he always thought outside the box and make great artworks.