Braque the Fogotten Cubist Master
Although George Braque (May 13, 1882 - Aug. 31, 1963) was one of the most influential painters of the twentieth century his name is all but forgotten. He has received little credit for his efforts towards the creation of analytic cubism. Many art historians believe that his prestigious role as father of analytic cubism was cut short because of Picasso’s fame. Many arguments have arisen asking the question: “Who is the father of cubism?” There is no doubt that Picasso started the spark which ignited modern art movements with the creation of “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon..” But, soon after Picasso created this work Braque created “Houses at L’Estaque.” This painting started the analytic phase of cubism. With this in mind, it can be stated that Picasso is the father of modern twentieth century art and Braque is the father of analytic cubism. George Braque is one of the most influential painters of the twentieth century. He co-worked with Picasso to create cubism and helped spark all the future art movements of the twentieth century. As well as this, he was the influence that made Picasso the fame that he was to become. Braque has never received the recognition he should have
This Cubist style emphasized the flat, two-dimensional surface of the picture plane, rejecting the traditional techniques of perspective, foreshortening, modeling, and chiaroscuro and refuting time-honored theories of art as the imitation of nature. Cubist painters were not bound to copying form, texture, color, and space; instead, they presented a new reality in paintings that depicted radically fragmented objects, whose several sides were seen simultaneously. If there is one aspect of Braque’s life that is confusing, it is why he has not received the recognition for his works the way that Picasso has. Braque was just as much, if not more, the creator of analytic cubism. He worked alongside Picasso in developing all aspects of cubism from day one until the beginning of World War One. The only reason why Braque’s name is not remembered as well as Picasso’s is because of his enlistment to fight in World War One. This event was the turning point of his career. The events which conspired during WWI and the years that followed boosted Picasso’s Popularity while diminished Braque’s.(Frank,18) If there is one painting that is possibly one of the most influential images regarding cubism in the twenty first century it is George Braque’s “Houses at L’Estaque.” During the summer of 1908 in southern France, Braque painted a series of radically innovative canvases, of which the most celebrated is “Houses at L’Estaque”; in this painting we can see the slab volumes, sober coloring, and warped perspective typical of the first part of what has been called the analytical phase of Cubism. This painting was shown in a show at Kahnweiler's gallery. It provoked from the Paris critic Louis Vauxcelles a remark about "cubes" that soon blossomed into a stylistic label. This painting was the painting that gave cubism its name. Vauxcelles’s remarked about the canvas being full of small cubes, and this comment was the spark that constituted the name of the movement. Braque undertook Vauxcelles criticisms, much like other movements of the past, and used it for the name of the movement. ( Flam, 144) 10) Whitfork, Frank. “Royal Academy of Arts.” TLS. 2/14/97. Issue 4898 p.18 because of Picasso’s fame, but his personal position in the art community was high and his involvement with World War One was a major culprits that aided in his downfall in artistic popularity. 5) Golding, J. “Two who made a Revolution.” New York Review of Books. 5/31/90,
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Approximate Word count = 2141
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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