1959 Mandoline, cruche et verre I Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1943-1961

The composition presents a still life arrangement rendered in a flattened perspective and a limited palette dominated by greens, browns, and creams. A table surface serves as the immediate foreground, its plane sharply defined against a background of uniform green. Upon this surface are arranged several objects: a mandolin, a pitcher or jug, a glass, and what appears to be a rectangular container.
The artist has fragmented these forms, presenting them from multiple viewpoints simultaneously. The mandolin’s body is depicted in profile while its neck extends towards the viewer at an oblique angle. Similarly, the pitchers form is broken down into planes; its handle curves dramatically, seemingly detached from the main vessel. The glass appears as a simplified cylinder, and the rectangular container is rendered with stark geometric precision.
A notable element is the face-like configuration within the pitcher’s structure – an arrangement of lines and shapes that suggests a human visage. This inclusion introduces a layer of psychological complexity to what would otherwise be a straightforward still life. The face isnt realistically portrayed, but its presence imbues the objects with a sense of latent sentience or emotional resonance.
The color scheme contributes significantly to the overall mood. The muted greens and browns evoke a feeling of melancholy or introspection. The limited range of tones reinforces the painting’s formal austerity and emphasizes the artist’s focus on shape and structure over representational accuracy.
There is an absence of traditional depth cues, which further flattens the image and draws attention to the two-dimensionality of the canvas. This deliberate rejection of illusionistic space underscores a conceptual interest in the nature of representation itself. The arrangement feels less like a faithful depiction of reality and more like a constructed visual puzzle, inviting contemplation on perception and artistic construction.