History of Art A level - Modernism

Picasso - Still life with chair caning

Synthetic cubism. Made in 1914. Challenges distinctions between high art and low art. Interrogates the systems of representation. Caning texture derived from oil cloth, shows how machinery can be incorporated into art - embracing the modern world.

Matisse - Goldfish

Still life. Made in 1912. Bottom of the art chain. Idea of still life skewed as he painted in a fauvist style instead of naturalist. Double perspective. Influenced by Paul Cezannes lack of symbolism. The goldfish represents divinity. Double perspective represents an objects variability.

Picasso - Portrait of Daniel Henry Kahnweiler

Cubism. Made in 1910. Curve under mouth represents either moustache or mouth. Suggestion of white collar, tie and shirt. Potentially obscured African mask in background. Analytical cubism. Gallery kahnweiler promoted the understated artists of his time.

Matisse - Reclining nude 1 aurora

Made in 1906. Uneven pitted surface, rejects the traditions of the academy as it isn’t polished to a degree of a skin life quality. Black patina challenges Matisse’s label as a colourist. Overly curvaceous from remnant of African sculpture. Juxtapositioning of manly and feminine features. Her shape rejects male gaze. Influenced by Rodin.

Delaunay - Homage a Bleriot

Orphic cubism. Made in 1914. Dedicated to Louis Bleriot, first man to fly across the English Channel. Delaunay called Bleriot ‘ The great constructor’. Speed, dynamism and motion conveyed in coloured discs. Eiffel Tower and plane are overarching detectable features. Praising how man created new world through powerful machines. Optimistic style appropriate to celebrate these advances. Orphism gave priority to light and colour.

Matisse - Portrait of Madame Matisse the green line

Fauvist. Made in 1905.