1923 Pomme ВpluchВe, verre et couteau Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1919-1930

The composition presents a still life arrangement rendered in a fractured and abstracted style. Here we observe a grouping of objects – a fruit (likely an apple), a glass, and a knife – deconstructed into geometric forms and planes. The palette is restricted primarily to black, white, and muted earth tones, with a patch of blue-green providing a contrasting backdrop.
The artist has eschewed traditional perspective; instead, multiple viewpoints are presented simultaneously within the same plane. This creates a sense of disorientation and challenges the viewers conventional understanding of spatial relationships. The objects themselves are not depicted realistically but rather as collections of intersecting lines and shapes. The apple’s form is suggested through angular planes, while the glass appears to be constructed from overlapping curves and straight edges. The knife’s blade is reduced to a series of sharp, fragmented lines.
The arrangement feels deliberately unstable; the objects seem to float or tilt precariously on the surface. This lack of grounding contributes to the overall sense of fragmentation and disruption. The limited color range reinforces this feeling of austerity and emphasizes the formal qualities of the composition over any narrative content.
Subtly, a sense of melancholy pervades the work. The stark contrast between light and dark, coupled with the deconstructed forms, evokes a mood of introspection and perhaps even loss. While seemingly simple in subject matter, the painting hints at deeper themes of perception, representation, and the inherent instability of reality. The signature in the upper left corner, rendered in a similarly fragmented style, further integrates the artists presence into the overall aesthetic disruption.