Guitar and Fruit Dish 

Juan Gris made this painting, Guitar and Fruit Dish, using oil on canvas. Gris was among the Cubists, who radically redefined the painter’s process. Not only by fragmenting the depicted scene, but also by emphasizing the constructed nature of the work. In this painting, observe how the artist built up layers of color to define shapes. The brown shades bring a sense of warmth to the forms of the guitar and fruit dish. The light colors create a flattening effect, adding to the painting’s collagelike appearance. Consider the labor involved: Gris meticulously applied paint, and the painting's success hinges on a traditional skill. However, he also undermined that skill, challenging the concept of pictorial illusionism that had previously defined the craft of painting. Gris prompts us to consider what painting is and can be. Ultimately, the painting exemplifies how an embrace of materials, making, and context can deepen our comprehension of an artwork, blurring traditional boundaries between fine art and craft.