1944 Verre et fruits Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1943-1961

The composition presents a still life arrangement centered around a glass and various fruit elements set against a muted, beige background. The glass, rendered with bold black outlines and simplified planes, dominates the left side of the canvas. Its form is not entirely transparent; rather, it appears as a solid volume, suggesting an emphasis on structure over realism.
Arranged before the glass are several fruits – lemons, plums or cherries, and what appear to be green apples or pears – intertwined with leafy branches. The artist has employed a limited palette of greens, yellows, browns, and blacks, applied in thick, visible brushstrokes that contribute to a sense of immediacy and texture. These strokes aren’t blended smoothly; instead, they retain their individual character, creating a fragmented visual surface.
The arrangement is not presented as a naturalistic grouping. The fruits are positioned at unusual angles, overlapping one another, and seemingly defying gravity. This deliberate distortion disrupts any illusion of depth or perspective, flattening the space and emphasizing the two-dimensionality of the canvas. The leaves appear stylized, their forms reduced to essential shapes that echo the angularity of the glass.
A subtle vertical line runs along the right edge of the composition, possibly representing a window frame or architectural element. This detail introduces an external context, hinting at a view beyond the immediate still life and suggesting a relationship between interior space and the outside world.
The work conveys a sense of melancholy and restraint. The muted colors and simplified forms evoke a feeling of quiet contemplation. While seemingly straightforward in subject matter, the painting’s deliberate distortions and flattened perspective suggest an underlying tension – a questioning of representation itself. It is not merely a depiction of objects; its an exploration of form, color, and their potential to convey emotion and meaning beyond surface appearances. The signature at the upper left corner adds a layer of personal presence, anchoring the work within the artist’s individual vision.