Gris Glass of beer and playing cards, 1913, 52.5x36.5 cm, Co Juan Gris (1887-1927)

The composition presents a fragmented still life, executed in a palette dominated by ochre, blue-grey, and muted browns. A tall glass, seemingly filled with beer or a similar frothy beverage, occupies the central vertical axis. The foam crests over the rim, its form rendered through layered planes of white and grey that suggest both volume and instability. To the left of the glass, a surface – likely a table or countertop – is delineated by angular blocks of color, interspersed with patches of patterned tilework in warm orange hues.
Scattered across this surface are elements suggestive of leisure: playing cards, their suits indistinct due to the fractured perspective, and what appears to be a small decorative object, perhaps a figurine or ornament. These objects are not presented realistically; instead, they are broken down into geometric shapes and reassembled in a manner that defies conventional spatial logic.
The artist employed a technique of simultaneous perspectives, presenting multiple viewpoints of the same subject within the confines of the canvas. This creates a sense of disorientation and challenges the viewers perception of depth. The sharp angles and abrupt transitions between color fields contribute to this effect, preventing any easy reading of the scene as a unified whole.
The overall impression is one of detachment and intellectualization. The objects depicted are commonplace – a glass of beer, playing cards – but their representation strips them of sentimental value. They become mere components in an exercise of formal experimentation. The patterned tilework introduces a decorative element, but even this is subsumed into the larger structure of fractured planes.
Subtly, theres a sense of melancholy embedded within the composition. The muted colors and fragmented forms evoke a feeling of loss or disintegration. It’s not an overt expression of sadness, but rather a quiet contemplation on the nature of perception and the instability of reality. The arrangement suggests a moment frozen in time, yet simultaneously deconstructed and reassembled, hinting at the fragility of experience itself.