Naturaleza Muerta 1918

María Blanchard made this oil painting, "Naturaleza Muerta," and it's a Cubist take on a still life. Look at how the forms are broken down, almost like a puzzle. It feels like she's showing us multiple angles at once. I love how Blanchard uses color to create a sense of depth and texture. The browns and blacks give the painting a grounded, earthy feel, while the whites and greys add a touch of lightness. Notice the way the paint is applied, in small, deliberate strokes. You can almost feel the artist's hand at work. The dark, angular shapes in the upper half feel heavy, like they’re pressing down on the lighter, more open forms below. It reminds me a bit of Picasso, but with a more subdued palette. With this painting, Blanchard takes the language of Cubism and makes it entirely her own. It’s like she’s saying, "I can break things apart, but I can also put them back together in a new and interesting way."