Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist whose long career moved through many styles and media, from the Blue and Rose periods to Cubism, classicism, Surrealism, sculpture, printmaking, and ceramics.
Painting Movement
Cubism
Cubism emerged in Paris as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque broke objects and figures into angular planes, compressed space, and shifting viewpoints.
Cubism quick facts
Review Cubism's origins, subject matter, painting materials, and early development through the Analytic and Synthetic phases.
| Origin | Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Early development | 1907–1914; Cubist approaches continued afterward |
| Early developers | Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque |
| Other notable painters | Juan Gris, Fernand Léger, and Jean Metzinger |
| Defining characteristics | Geometric planes, flattened space, fragmented forms, and several viewpoints in one image |
| Common subjects | Still lifes, portraits, figures, musical instruments, and landscapes |
| Analytic Cubism | Roughly 1909–1912: tightly interlocking fragments, subdued color, and multiple viewpoints |
| Synthetic Cubism | From 1912: larger, flatter shapes and collage with newspaper, wallpaper, or other materials |
| Paint medium | Oil paint, alongside drawing and mixed media |
| Painting surfaces | Canvas and paper, among others |
| Representative works | Picasso's Girl with a Mandolin, Braque's Man with a Guitar, and Gris's Breakfast |
Sources: MoMA: Cubism, Analytic and Synthetic Cubism, and Materials of everyday life.
Famous Cubist painters
Picasso and Georges Braque developed Cubism together, while Juan Gris became a leading practitioner of its later collage-based approach.
Also notable: Georges Braque and Juan Gris. Their individual PaintZeal profiles are not available yet.
Related painting movements
Orphism adapted Cubist ideas into rhythmic color abstraction, while Futurism drew on fractured forms to represent movement and modern life.
| Movement | How it differs |
|---|---|
| Orphism | Emphasized bright color, rhythm, and increasingly nonrepresentational forms inspired partly by Cubism. |
| Futurism | Emphasized speed, motion, and modern machines, drawing partly on Cubist fragmentation. |
Sources: MoMA: Before and beyond Cubism, Orphism, and Futurism.