1912 Guitare, verre, bouteille de vieux marc Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1908-1918

The composition presents a fragmented still life, rendered in a style characterized by geometric abstraction and a deliberate disruption of spatial coherence. The palette is muted, dominated by greys, whites, and creams, punctuated by small areas of green, black, yellow, and red. These colors do not function to create realistic representation but rather contribute to the overall sense of fractured form and visual tension.
Here we see several recognizable objects – a guitar, a glass, and what appears to be a bottle – though their forms are deconstructed into angular planes and overlapping shapes. The guitar’s outline is suggested through a series of intersecting lines and triangular segments; its presence is more implied than explicitly depicted. Similarly, the glass and bottle are reduced to simplified geometric volumes, their transparency absent.
The arrangement defies conventional perspective. Objects appear simultaneously from multiple viewpoints, creating a sense of disorientation. Theres no clear foreground or background; elements interpenetrate one another, flattening the pictorial space. The artist employed a technique that seems to prioritize conceptual representation over mimetic accuracy.
Embedded within this abstract framework is textual content – the words vieux marc are prominently displayed in an angular, almost architectural lettering style. This inscription introduces a layer of meaning beyond the visual elements themselves; “vieux marc” translates to “old brandy,” suggesting a connection to themes of memory, aging, and perhaps even decay. The text isnt integrated seamlessly into the composition but rather appears as a superimposed element, further emphasizing the painting’s fractured nature.
The overall effect is one of intellectual complexity and visual ambiguity. The artist seems less interested in portraying objects realistically than in exploring their essential forms and relationships through abstraction. The work invites contemplation on themes of perception, representation, and the interplay between language and image. It suggests a deliberate dismantling of traditional artistic conventions, hinting at an exploration of new modes of pictorial expression.