The Importance Of Cubism

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Cubism’s Enhancement of Unity, Movement, and Illusion The vital time in art history when Cubism was emerging in our culture undoubtedly changed art forever. It is responsible for producing some of the most famous paintings in the world. Defined as an early 20th-century style and movement in art, especially painting, in which perspective with a single viewpoint was abandoned and use was made of simple geometric shapes, interlocking planes, and later, collage, the Cubism movement revolutionized not only art but also music, literature, and architecture. Artists began to reject the idea of simply representing nature, which had been done for centuries, and introduced a new approach to special awareness, far from the traditional techniques. The
Picasso, one of the most influential artists in the world, along with friend George Braque, was credited for the creation of Cubism. Three Musicians, a Cubist painting by Pablo Picasso exemplifies the Synthetic Cubism style. Synthetic Cubism, which differs from Analytical Cubism, emphasizes the combination of forms in the work. After examining what makes the Three Musicians painting successful, the disruption of the room contrasting with the stable figures, the attempt to capture movement in a moment in time, the illusion in the painting versus reality, and the interlocking and overlapping shapes, we are able to better understand what makes Cubism so powerful and how it conveys the ideas Picasso was striving to represent. Cubism paintings, like the Three Musicians, can be interpreted in countless ways, making the truth of what the artist was trying to communicate something that is hard to be sure of, but we can, however, be sure of the ways the style enhances the symbolism we see and how it conveys the truth. The Cubist style that enhances the harmony of the Three
During his career Picasso warned that “people who try to explain pictures are usually barking up the wrong tree. ” Although Picasso believes that his paintings cannot be explained, many art historians believe his paintings have deeper meanings than he claims. In disregard of Picasso’s comment, Iconographers have sought to unmask meanings in the Three Musicians deeper than the formal. The three figures, Pierrot, Harlequinn, and a friar, could represent Picasso himself, Apollinaire, and the monk Max Jacob. Apollinaire and Max Jacob are two people Picasso identified with during his lifetime, and he considered them two of his closest collaborators. The painting shows them working together, intertwined and overlapping. Picasso could have been thinking of his close friends when he made this piece. His intentions cannot be fully proved, but it cannot be denied that the painting gives an intense feeling of a deeper meaning to the viewer, along with his other work. Whether the figures represent Picasso and his close friends, three musicians, or complete strangers, they are unified through the style of

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