Still Life (Translation)
Nature Morte (Primary Title)
Juan Gris, Spanish, 1887 - 1927 (Artist)
A Spaniard by birth, Gris spent the majority of his career in Paris in the company of the “Salon Cubists”—Jean Metzinger, Albert Gleizes, Henri Le Fauconier, and the Duchamp brothers, Marcel and Raymond. The succinct and clear forms of this charcoal sketch demonstrate Gris’s homage to simplicity and a return to the fundamentals of art. Through a masterful use of charcoal and the clarity of his style, Gris uplifts an assemblage of humble objects into a work of high art. The subtle and softtreatment of the subjects prizes their sheer existence and celebrates the happy coincidence of their shared space.
Inscribed in graphite on verso, upper left: "5917 011502"; upper right: "Mellon 9103"; lower right: "108" (circled)
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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