1907 Рtude pour la nature morte (tranches de pastКque sur un plat) Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1889-1907

The drawing presents a still life arrangement centered around what appears to be sliced fruit piled on a circular plate. The composition is rendered in a sketchy style, utilizing charcoal or pencil for outlining and shading, with touches of colored crayon – primarily red and green – to indicate the fruit’s coloration.
Here we see a deliberate departure from traditional naturalistic representation. The forms are not depicted as they would appear to the eye; instead, theres an emphasis on fractured planes and distorted perspectives. The slices seem to be viewed simultaneously from multiple angles, creating a sense of spatial ambiguity. This is particularly evident in how the edges of the fruit segments curve and intersect, defying conventional notions of depth and volume.
The plate itself is rendered with a simplified circular form, its outline somewhat hesitant, suggesting an ongoing process of observation and rendering rather than a finished product. The background is minimally defined, consisting primarily of loose charcoal strokes that contribute to the overall sense of immediacy and experimentation.
Beyond the purely visual elements, the drawing conveys a feeling of deconstruction and analysis. It’s not merely a depiction of fruit; its an exploration of how those forms can be broken down into their constituent shapes and reassembled in unconventional ways. The rough handling of materials and the unfinished quality suggest a focus on the process of artistic inquiry rather than the creation of a polished, representational image.
The limited color palette reinforces this sense of reduction and abstraction. The red and green hues are applied with a degree of crudeness, further emphasizing the drawing’s experimental nature. It seems to be an attempt to move beyond surface appearances and delve into the underlying structure of form itself.