1909 Carafon, pot et compotier Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1908-1918

The composition presents a still life arrangement rendered in a fractured and fragmented style. A table surface dominates the foreground, its planes delineated by sharp angles and varying shades of grey and white. The tabletop itself appears less as a continuous plane and more as an assemblage of geometric forms, disrupting any sense of traditional perspective.
Arranged upon this surface are several objects: a carafe, a bowl filled with fruit (likely limes or lemons), a small terracotta pot, and a glass. Each object is subjected to the same deconstructive treatment; their outlines dissolve into planes and facets, obscuring recognizable form. The carafe, positioned on the left side, exhibits a particularly complex arrangement of angular shapes that suggest its volume while simultaneously denying it. Similarly, the bowl containing fruit seems to be constructed from overlapping geometric blocks, with the fruits themselves appearing as rounded forms embedded within this structure.
The background is similarly abstracted, consisting primarily of vertical planes in muted greens and yellows. These planes do not function as a traditional backdrop but rather contribute to the overall sense of spatial ambiguity. The light source appears diffuse, casting no distinct shadows and further flattening the picture plane.
A key element contributing to the painting’s impact is its deliberate lack of depth. The objects appear to exist on a single plane, eliminating any clear foreground or background. This creates a sense of compression and visual density. The limited color palette – primarily greys, whites, yellows, greens, and terracotta – reinforces this effect, emphasizing form over chromatic richness.
Subtly, the work seems to question the nature of representation itself. By dismantling recognizable objects into their constituent geometric parts, the artist challenges the viewer’s expectations about how reality is depicted. The fragmented forms suggest a breakdown of traditional visual order, hinting at an underlying instability or impermanence. Theres a sense that what we perceive as solid and stable can be reduced to a collection of planes and angles, prompting reflection on the subjective nature of perception.