1913 Bouteille de Bass, guitare, journal et verre sur une table carrВe Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1908-1918

The drawing presents a still life arrangement on what appears to be a square table. The composition is characterized by a fragmented and abstracted representation of everyday objects: a bottle, a guitar, a newspaper or journal, and a glass. These items are not depicted realistically but rather broken down into geometric shapes and planes, reassembled in a manner that challenges conventional perspective.
The artist employs a limited tonal range, utilizing the warm brown hue of the paper itself as a significant element within the work. Lines are primarily executed with a dark pencil, creating a stark contrast against the background. The drawing’s execution suggests a rapid, almost improvisational process; lines are hesitant and overlapping, contributing to a sense of dynamism and instability.
The arrangement is not spatially coherent in a traditional sense. Objects appear to intersect and overlap without adhering to logical depth cues. This flattening effect contributes to the overall feeling of deconstruction and abstraction. The presence of lettering – discernible on what seems to be the newspaper or journal, with fragments reading B and J – introduces an element of textual reference, hinting at a narrative or symbolic layer beyond the purely visual.
The guitar’s form is particularly intriguing; its rendered as a collection of angular shapes that suggest its outline without fully defining it. This approach emphasizes the objects essential structure rather than its recognizable appearance. The bottle, similarly, is reduced to simplified forms, losing any sense of volume or curvature.
Subtly, there’s an impression of melancholy conveyed through the muted palette and fragmented forms. The objects seem isolated, their connection to a larger context obscured by the artists deliberate disruption of spatial relationships. This could be interpreted as a commentary on the alienation of modern life or a meditation on the nature of perception itself. The drawing doesnt offer easy answers; instead, it invites contemplation about how we construct meaning from visual information and the inherent instability of representation.