Still LIfe 

Auguste Herbin rendered this still life painting with oil paint and canvas, at an unknown date. Herbin came of age as an artist during a time when Cubism, with its radical fragmentation of form, was reshaping visual art. In the still life genre, we often see a reflection of cultural values. But Herbin’s painting challenges these traditional representations. The objects—flowers, fruit— are familiar, domestic. Yet, they're rendered through geometric abstraction that moves away from conventional beauty. Consider how this approach reflects the socio-political mood of the early 20th century, particularly in Europe. Artists were questioning old orders and exploring new ways to represent a world changing rapidly through industrialization and war. Herbin isn't just painting a still life, he's experimenting with how we perceive reality in a world that no longer seems to hold its old, stable forms. The painting invites us to feel the tension between the familiar and the abstract, the personal and the universal.