Framed Cubist Artwork
Cubism, while a relatively recent art movement in the grand scale of things, has a rich history and a varied body of work. With Cubist artists like the extremely prolific Pablo Picasso, the recognizable Marcel Duchamp, and the bold Franz Marc, the collection of works that comprise framed cubist art is really quite rich and expansive.
Nearly every work by Pablo Picasso belongs on a list of great framed cubist art paintings, but his “Three Musicians” is a great example of his mastery of the style he effectively helped to pioneer. The replacement of organic curves with harsh geometric boundaries creates something jarring and intense in place of what would otherwise be fairly ordinary scenes, but it makes them no less recognizable. The subjects of this painting are still clearly distinguishable, despite lacking features that are even remotely realistic.
Marcel Duchamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase” remains at the forefront of every notable collection of framed cubist paintings and prints. While, at first glance, the title seems utterly misleading, a longer, more thoughtful gaze at the piece begins to reveal more human elements and poetic gestures of motion and seduction in the seemingly abstract work. Though no nude figure is explicitly depicted, the commitment to mapping every movement and gesture of the frame captures the action of the title in a striking manner.
One other brilliant turn – of – the – century work in framed cubist art comes from painter Franz Marc, whose “Fox, 1913” uses the highly geometric, angular style to evoke what is typically considered one of nature’s more fluid and lithe creatures. In this work, the fox is not shown as a creature of subtlety and cunning, but one of angular, bold gestures. Yet somehow, Marc still manages to make the image of the fox blend sneakily into the background, uniting a very distinct art form with an appeal that might otherwise have been considered impossible.