FREE ESSAY ON CUBISM AND PICASSO

CUBISM AND PICASSO

I N T R O D U C T I O N
Picasso's development toward cubism reached its climax with the monumental justly
celebrated Demoiselles d'Avignon (1906). This painting, named for a brothel in
Barcelona's Avignon Street, depicts, in a highly stylized form, five angular nude or
partially draped women grouped around an arrangement of fruit. This final, condensed
version, developed through many preparatory works, was attained by gradual
simplifications and eliminations of an originally conspicuous subject matter.
1. LINEAR (SHARP CONTOURS) VS PAINTERLY (LINES ARE INDISTINCT
Picasso shows a rethinking of the human body in Les Demoiselles. This ranges from a
simplified naturalism, (in the centre figures) to an increased sense of fragmentation in
to angular forms, each of which appears to have an independent existence. Such
disjunction of body parts challenged the standards by which the human body had been
constructed before. In synchronicity, the background elements of draperies and wall were
fragmented, aligned with the figural handling. 
2. PLANE (SPACE BULIT UP OF SEMI-INDEPENDENT PLANES) VS RECESSION (UNIFIED BY DIAGONAL
PLANES)
It is quite difficult to determine whether Les Demoiselles should be catogorized as the
"plane" or recession" option for the following reasons: Picasso shifted the point of view
at will heads, noses and eyes are seen simultaneously in profile and full front. In other
words, the vision of the spectator is enlarged to include a number of different views. As
thought they were moving form point to point, looking up then down. Modern studies of
perception have shown that this is the way one forms a visual image of an object. Not
from one fixed all encompassing glance, but from an infinite number of momentary
glimpses, formulated and unified into a whole by the spectator's mind. Cubism introduced
into painting not only a new kind of space, but also another dimension, time. Therefore
one may conclude that Les Demoiselles is neither built up of semi-independent planes nor
unified by diagonals. 
3. ABSOULTE CLARITY (DESCIBED OBJECTS) VS RELATIVE CLARITY (SUGGESTED OBJECTS)
It is also quite difficult to determine whether this painting depicts "absolute clarity"
or "relative clarity." One might suggest that Les Demoiselles demonstrates "absolute
clarity" since all objects are in plane sight, meaning none of the figures/objects are
clouded by shadow. Yet, "relative clarity" is also suggested. Although the
figures/objects may easily be viewed, it can, at times be hard to determine what exactly
is being observed, (ie. drapery) 
4. COLOUR + LIGHT ADHERES TO FROM VS COLOUR + LIGHT IS COLOUR REFRACTED/REFLECTED
There is no suggestion of either light or shadow, with the exception of the figure in the
upper right corner who appears to be engulfed in shadow.
5. POTENTIALLY LIMITLESS TIME VS SINGLE DRAMATIC MOMENT 
Since Les Demoiselles depicts a brothel scene one would assume that a series a lounging
nude females would be common place, therefore depicting a potentially limitless period of
time.
Bibliography
None