The artwork “Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass and Newspaper” by Pablo Picasso, dated 1913, exemplifies the Synthetic Cubism movement. This still-life piece employs a combination of charcoal, collage, and cardboard as its mediums. The dimensions of the work measure approximately 63 by 49 centimeters. It is currently housed at the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris, France.
In this piece, Picasso disrupts the traditional representation of objects by fragmenting and reassembling them into an abstract composition. The elements of the work are flattened and overlaid, presenting multiple perspectives within a single plane. Central to the artwork is the depiction of a bottle labeled “VIEUX MARC,” alongside a glass and snatches of a newspaper, crystallizing the aesthetic of Synthetic Cubism. Integrating real-world materials such as newspaper clippings, Picasso adds textual and textural layers, creating a dynamic interplay between reality and artifice. The neutral palette is punctuated by the printed words and the decorative patterns of the attached pieces, producing a rich visual tapestry that invites contemplation on the nature of objects and their representation.
