Still Life With Pumpkin and Bottle of Rum 1917

Jean Metzinger made this painting, Still Life With Pumpkin and Bottle of Rum, with oil on canvas. The colour palette is all muted greens, browns, and reds, and that process of mixing and remixing creates these shifting planes. Up close, you can see how the forms are built with layers of short brushstrokes, building up these opaque forms, almost like tiles in a mosaic. Notice the way Metzinger uses the text ‘RHUM’ to draw you in, that word becomes a key for how to read the rest of the painting. The colours are pretty earthy and tactile, and they make me think of Synthetic Cubism, or maybe even Leger. The still life in Metzinger’s piece, reminds me of the work of Juan Gris, with its fragmented forms and everyday objects. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art isn't about answers, it's more about the conversation, and keeping that conversation moving.