Still Life with Coffee Mill 1916

Juan Gris created this drawing, "Still Life with Coffee Mill", in 1916. The monochromatic pencil drawing on paper constructs everyday objects through a Cubist lens. Look closely at how forms intersect and overlap, creating spatial ambiguity. Gris employs a muted palette, focusing on tonal variations to define shapes. Notice how he breaks down the objects into geometric components, reassembling them in a way that challenges traditional perspective. This fracturing of form reveals multiple viewpoints simultaneously, inviting us to consider the object from various angles at once. The drawing's composition is structured yet dynamic, mirroring broader artistic and philosophical inquiries into perception and representation. Through the semiotic system of Cubism, Gris destabilizes fixed meanings, prompting ongoing interpretation.