Guitar on the Table 1913

Juan Gris made *Guitar on the Table* with oil on canvas. What strikes me most is how Gris takes a familiar object and disassembles it. It’s as if he’s asking us to rethink how we see, not just what we see. Look at how the colors are laid down in flat, geometric planes. The blues and browns and grays, they’re not blended to mimic reality, but rather to create a sense of depth and form through contrast. Notice the area where the guitar's sound hole should be – it's just a white circle, like a spotlight, suggesting resonance. This work feels like a conversation with Picasso and Braque, but Gris has his own distinct voice. Unlike the more subdued tones of early Cubism, Gris uses color to create structure. It’s not just about breaking things down, but about building them back up in a new, more complex way.