Compotier et nappe à carreaux 1917

Juan Gris made this painting, Compotier et nappe à carreaux, with oil on canvas. Looking at the tones of brown, black, and green, I imagine Gris working slowly, probably in his studio, carefully building up these forms one on top of another. The painting is a complex arrangement of geometric shapes and patterns, it’s hard to know for sure what’s what! I can see the thick application of paint and the controlled brushstrokes – it is clear that Gris was really thinking about how to construct this still life. I can imagine him stepping back, squinting his eyes, and then adding another layer of shapes. Doesn’t that make you think of other artists like Braque and Picasso? It’s all part of a rich history of experimentation and innovation, where artists build on each other’s ideas and push the boundaries of what painting can be. Painting isn’t about fixed ideas, it’s a continuing conversation between artists.