Naturaleza Muerta Composicion 1917

María Blanchard created this oil painting, "Naturaleza Muerta Composicion," in France, sometime in the 1910s or 20s. The title, "Still Life Composition," tells us that we’re looking at an arrangement of everyday objects, refracted through the sharp angles of Cubism. Blanchard was Spanish by birth but spent much of her career in Paris, at the epicenter of avant-garde experimentation. It's important to remember that Cubism wasn't just an aesthetic style; it was a visual language that fractured traditional ways of seeing. Think about how Cubism emerged during a time of immense social upheaval in Europe. Artists were grappling with a rapidly changing world, questioning established norms and seeking new ways to represent reality. To truly understand Blanchard's painting, we can investigate the cultural and political context of Cubism, looking at the journals, manifestos, and exhibition catalogs that shaped its reception, and by considering the impact of Blanchard's identity as a woman and an émigré. Art history is about understanding how art reflects and shapes the world around it.