Framed Cubist Art

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.