Guitar on a chair, 1913, 100 x 65 cm, Private Juan Gris (1887-1927)

The composition presents a fragmented still life, dominated by geometric forms and a restricted palette. A guitar is centrally positioned, though its recognizable shape is significantly deconstructed into angular planes and facets. These shapes overlap and intersect, creating a sense of spatial ambiguity; the instrument appears simultaneously present and dissolving within the surrounding environment.
A chair, also rendered in fractured geometry, supports the guitar. Its form is similarly abstracted, blending with the background elements to obscure its distinct boundaries. The backdrop itself is not depicted as a continuous space but rather as an assemblage of interlocking planes – a combination of muted grays, browns, and touches of blue that suggest an interior setting without providing any clear spatial cues.
The color scheme reinforces this sense of fragmentation. Earth tones – ochre, brown, gray – are prevalent, punctuated by occasional flashes of yellow and a small area of pale blue. The colors are not used to create depth or volume in the traditional sense; instead, they serve to highlight the angularity of the forms and contribute to the overall flattening of the pictorial space.
The arrangement seems deliberate, eschewing any conventional perspective or illusionistic rendering. This approach suggests an interest in exploring the formal qualities of painting itself – shape, color, and composition – rather than representing a recognizable scene. The subtext might be interpreted as a questioning of traditional notions of representation, challenging the viewer to engage with the artwork on purely visual terms. Theres a sense of intellectual rigor underlying the work; it’s not merely decorative but seems intended to provoke thought about perception and the nature of reality.

The deliberate disruption of recognizable forms could also be seen as reflecting a broader cultural shift – a move away from established artistic conventions towards new modes of expression that prioritize abstraction and conceptual inquiry.