

Perspective was lost as the artists portrayed their subjects from multiple viewpoints. In an effort to depict three-dimensional things on a flat, two-dimensional canvas, they would break down the subject into the most basic of shapes, then reassemble them in abstract form, painting from different angles. These two artists began to look at people and objects differently.

So, he began experimenting with these techniques together with his friend, Georges Braque, resulting in the “invention” of Cubism. In Cézanne’s work, Picasso discovered how to streamline a subject matter, reducing it down to its basic, essential shapes. What inspired him most was how Cézanne took elements from nature and simplified them into basic geometrical shapes and forms. Picasso had been familiar with Cézanne’s art, but it was at that moment when he realized the full impact of his artistic accomplishments, and from that point on, “Cézanne’s influence gradually flooded everything” in Picasso’s art. A retrospective is an art exhibit that covers an artist’s entire career, showing all the works he or she has produced throughout the years. In 1907, a year after the death of French painter, Paul Cézanne, Picasso attended a retrospective of Cézanne’s work. Download the FREE 8-page Cubism Era Unit Study by joining our email list here.īetween the years of 19, Pablo Picasso, along with his artist friend, Georges Braque, developed a modern style of art known as Cubism.
