The artwork titled “Mandolin” is a creation by the artist Georges Braque, dating back to 1914 in France. This piece is crafted with charcoal, collage, gouache, and cardboard, representing the Synthetic Cubism movement. The still life has dimensions of 48.3 x 31.8 cm and is housed at the Ulmer Museum in Ulm, Germany.
“Mandolin” exemplifies the characteristics of Synthetic Cubism through its fragmented and reassembled depiction of a mandolin and its surrounding space. Georges Braque uses a constricted palette and integrates various materials to explore the interplay of texture, shape, and the illusion of depth. The inclusion of newspaper cutouts, alongside painted areas, creates a deliberate ambiguity between the two-dimensional surface of the artwork and the three-dimensional objects it portrays. The layering of materials and the subtle tonal variations contribute to the visual complexity of the piece, inviting viewers to examine the relationships between the different elements and to contemplate the nature of representation in art. This work reflects Braque’s interest in challenging traditional perspectives and forms in painting, a hallmark of the Cubist movement he co-founded.
