Bottle of Beaune and a Fruit Dish 1917

Juan Gris made this painting of a bottle and some fruit with oil on canvas. The first thing that jumps out is that the shapes are both flat and angular, kind of geometric, but also, they curve and tilt in a way that creates a sense of depth. It's like Gris is building up a still life, bit by bit. The color palette is mostly greens and browns, with touches of white and black. If you look closer at the lower left corner, you can see an area of dark shapes with some crosses. The dark area contrasts with the lighter shapes of the bottle and fruit dish. This contrast draws the eye, and you can see Gris used it to create an anchor for the composition as a whole. He makes this painting by building up planes and forms, kind of like how Braque and Picasso did. Gris’s way of putting together shapes and forms has influenced many artists, and reminds me a bit of Leger, who was also interested in simplifying and streamlining forms. Like Leger, this picture seems to say that a painting is not really about showing reality, but about making something new.