Cubism

c. 1907–1914

Cubism transformed how space and form were represented. Objects were broken into geometric shapes and shown from multiple viewpoints. Perspective was flattened and reassembled. This movement laid the foundation for abstract art.

Still life on a Table 'Gillette'

Georges Braque

1914

Collage-like Cubist tabletop where labels and objects flatten into patterns and signs.

La Sortie des Ballets Russes

Fernand Leger

1914

Mechanized figures and bold color blocks capture modern movement and theater energy.

Portrait of Picasso

Juan Gris

1912

A precise, crystalline Cubist portrait built from sharp planes and cool harmonies.

Nude Descending a Staircase, No 2

Marcel Duchamp

1912

A figure cascades through space as repeated forms, merging Cubism with motion studies.

Man with a Guitar

Georges Braque

1912

A musician dissolved into overlapping facets, reducing form to rhythm and tone.

Ma Jolie

Pablo Picasso

1912

A Cubist portrait abstracted into interlocking planes and bits of text, challenging recognition.

House of L'Estaque

Georges Braque

1908

Faceted planes turn houses and trees into early Cubist geometry based on Cézanne’s structure.

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

Pablo Picasso

1907

Five fractured nudes confront the viewer; a radical step toward Cubism and modern art.