Landscape 1917

Juan Gris made this ‘Landscape’ sometime in the early 20th century, using oil on canvas. I just love the earthiness of the colours, offset by the more formal, architectural elements. It gives the image a certain tension. I imagine Gris standing before the canvas, brush in hand, perhaps with some charcoal lines already mapped out. He must have been thinking a lot about structure and how to build up an image from these abstract, geometric forms. I can see him, layering the paint, moving from dark to light, building up this weird, dream-like space. Look at the way the forms interlock and overlap, creating a push and pull between foreground and background. The surface is smooth, which gives the painting a cool, almost detached quality. The conversation between the artist and the canvas is so clear here. I see how this work fits into the broader Cubist tradition. But it also stands alone as a testament to Gris's unique vision. It’s like he's saying: "Yes, we can break things down, but we can also rebuild them into something new and strange."