Still life with oil lamp, 1911-12, 48x33 cm, Rijksmuseu Juan Gris (1887-1927)

The composition presents a fragmented arrangement of objects, seemingly domestic in nature, rendered through a systematic deconstruction of form and perspective. Here we see what appears to be a table surface, subtly indicated by a pale, almost monochromatic plane that serves as the foundation for the assemblage. Upon this surface rest several vessels or containers, their shapes abstracted into geometric planes and sharp angles.
The color palette is restrained, dominated by muted greens, browns, yellows, and touches of blue. These colors are not employed to create an illusionistic depth but rather to emphasize the planar structure of the objects. Light doesnt seem to emanate from a specific source; instead, it appears diffused and even, contributing to the overall flattening of the pictorial space.
The artist has deliberately avoided traditional perspective. Objects overlap and intersect in ways that defy logical spatial relationships. The viewer is denied a single, fixed viewpoint; rather, the composition seems to offer multiple perspectives simultaneously. This fracturing of visual reality suggests an interest not in representing objects as they appear, but in exploring their underlying structural components.
The presence of what might be interpreted as an oil lamp – indicated by its cylindrical form and suggestion of light – introduces a subtle symbolic layer. Lamps often represent illumination, knowledge, or even the passage of time. However, within this fragmented context, the lamp’s significance is ambiguous; it becomes just another element subjected to the same process of geometric reduction.
The overall effect is one of intellectual rigor and formal experimentation. The work seems less concerned with depicting a recognizable scene than with investigating the possibilities of representing reality through abstraction. It suggests an exploration of perception itself, challenging conventional notions of space, form, and representation.