Guitar on a Table

Today, October 25th, is a day to celebrate artists and their contributions to the world. It's a day to appreciate the beauty and inspiration that art brings to our lives. This day also commemorates the birthday of the renowned artist, Pablo Picasso. 

As we can't feature Picasso's work because of the copyrights, we want to show you another amazing Cubist artist—Juan Gris. 

José González was born in Spain in 1887. In 1906 he moved to Paris, where he adopted the name Juan Gris, believing it more fitting for his intended career as a caricaturist. In Paris he joined the circle of artists around Picasso and went on to become one of the key figures of Cubism. Gris described his approach as “deductive painting:” first arranging visual elements such as line, form, and color on the canvas, and only then discerning which figurative motifs might emerge from the pattern.

Like many Cubists, Gris had a particular fascination with music, especially the forms of musical instruments. His favorite motif was the Spanish guitar, which plays a central role in this composition. Here, Gris deliberately depicts the instrument with only five strings instead of six, and the musical staff with fewer lines than usual—choices made to resist a naturalistic rendering and emphasize abstraction.

On the reverse of this canvas, Gris painted another Cubist still life featuring a guitar and musical score. Because the stretcher is mounted on this side, Guitar on a Table is regarded as the front of the work.

P.S. If you’ve made it this far, here’s a little surprise: today only, enjoy 25% off all our Picasso-inspired products.  :) 

P.P.S. If you want to get to know yet another Cubist master, here's the story of the amazing Georges Braque!