“Still life with a Glass and an Apple” is an artwork by the renowned artist Pablo Picasso, dating back to 1914. This piece is representative of the Cubist art movement and falls within the still life genre. The dimensions of the artwork are relatively modest at 27.5 x 22.5 cm, and it is currently housed in a private collection, away from public exhibition.
The artwork exemplifies Cubism with its fragmented and abstract representation of objects. At the forefront, the viewer can discern a transparent glass that dominates the composition in terms of its relative size and central placement. The glass is rendered with care to depict its cylindrical form and reflective surface. Beside it lies an apple, its form broken into the multi-faceted surfaces characteristic of Cubist interpretation. In the background, one can observe additional elements such as a patterned napkin or textile and geometric shapes that might suggest books or papers, contributing to the sense of a traditional still life table setting. The color palette is subdued yet varied, with earth tones mingling with hints of green, blue, and white. The background appears muted, allowing the still life arrangement to command the viewer’s attention.
Picasso’s work here is a study in the deconstruction of reality, a hallmark of his experimental phase within Cubism, where objects are not just represented from a single viewpoint, but rather from multiple perspectives simultaneously. The artwork offers an exploration of form, light, and perspective, inviting the observer to ponder the interplay between dimensionality and space within the confines of a flat canvas.
