Carafe and Book 1920

Juan Gris's, Carafe and Book, is a still life of objects built from oil paint. You can see how the planes of color intersect: browns, grays, and whites that construct the book, carafe, and architectural element. It feels like Gris has puzzled them together. I can imagine him pushing the objects around, trying to fit them into a cohesive design that has space and flatness, all at once. I love the curves of the architectural molding as they cut into the pages of the black book. I bet Gris enjoyed painting that soft creamy white against the darkness of the book's pages. The lines create a rhythm that keeps your eye moving across the surface of the painting. It's a dance between the objects and the spaces in between. Painting like this makes you think about all the other painters who have painted still lifes, from Cezanne to Picasso and beyond. It’s like one big, ongoing conversation!