Landscape at Beaulieu 1918

Juan Gris painted Landscape at Beaulieu with oil on canvas; though undated, it offers insights into the Cubist movement of the early 20th century and Gris’s own sense of identity as a Spanish artist working in France. The Cubists sought to challenge traditional modes of representation by fragmenting objects and space. In Landscape at Beaulieu, Gris dismantles the conventional landscape, abstracting it into geometric forms and patterns. The use of muted colors, along with the interplay of light and shadow, creates an atmospheric tension, drawing you into a world that exists between reality and abstraction. Gris saw Cubism as a means of intellectual exploration and a way to express the underlying structure of the world. He once said: “I work with the elements of the intellect, with the imagination. I try to materialize what is in my mind.” Gris’s landscape invites us to question our perceptions, as it reflects the fractured and multifaceted nature of modern life while capturing a sense of intimacy.