Chapter 22 I Anarchists on the hills of Montmartre (2) Cubist pioneers

According to the concept of modern people, what is pure art?Art is about creating a magic that simultaneously includes the object and the subject, the world outside the artist and the artist himself, and at the same time is inspiring. Baudelaire After a first period marked by alterations of the human body and objects, known as the pre-Cubist or Cézanne phase, Braque and Picasso turned to a new path: analytic Cubism.They are at the center of the subject.They strive to express the third dimension of the painted object—its depth and three-dimensionality—from every angle by using overlapping planes, without using chiaroscuro to create an illusion based on illusion.They choose subjects for their paintings from everyday objects so that the objects in them can be easily identified.The period is marked by monochrome (gray and ocher) and stately simplicity.

The two painters based their research on a constructive work, creating sculptures out of paper, iron and cardboard.According to Baudelaire, sculpture was an inferior or "supplementary" art to that of "barbaric times".It was a bit astonishing that they answered Baudelaire with such an action.It's like taking a counterattack on the poet's point of view, turning passive into active.According to Baudelaire, what is wrong with Cubist sculpture?He blamed it for not allowing people to "look at objects from a single point of view"; to appreciate the richness of the work, the viewer must turn around the work;

These weaknesses seen by Baudelaire are precisely the precious places in the eyes of Braque and Picasso.They first built "light" structures, and then used painting to reflect the structures thus built on the canvas.This is how they made the transition from sculpture to painting.Cubist paintings were born from such repeated labor.For example, Picasso sculpted the Head of Fernand in 1909, based on all the portraits he painted of Fernand in Horta; A series of guitars. The problem in these works, which try to be all-encompassing, is that the way forward is lost. The famous analytic cubist work "Portrait of Danielle-Henri Carnville" (Fig. 36) completed in 1910 was completed in two stages after drawing himself countless times.Picasso was very dissatisfied with this method, because people could not understand the works created by using it.Therefore, he added some coordinates and symbols that he called "marks". These prominent "symbols" such as the shadow of the ear, the bridge of the nose, a section of the tie, the rudimentary hair, the crossed hands... can deeply attract the audience. attention of the eyes.

The two painters embarked on a new phase in their work and worked towards their true purpose of parsing Cubism, which was to infuse more clarity into the work.This time, it introduces a detail and symbol that can identify the object in the painting, and returns some features that were previously withdrawn to the audience.Soon after, shortly before Picasso's use of Lipoland enamel, Braque's realistically drawn nails, typefaces, pasted paper and odds and ends reappeared in the work of Gris and Picasso in Jug and Jug of 1910.The purpose of the research is still to use the method of pasting paper on the canvas to make the three-dimensional effect of the sample object (such as a guitar) appear in the painting.

Cubism, created by Braque and Picasso, is the fruit of their joint labor.The achievement of this labor achievement is based on the similar interests of the two and the joint research they are engaged in.In the history of art, such a harmonious complementarity between the two of them is very rare and unprecedented. What did they each do? There is no point in asking this question.The result of finding the answer to this question can only be: return to Caesar what belonged to Caesar, return to Braque the merits of Braque that had been buried due to Picasso's great reputation, and restore the status he should have received.

Braque was more influenced by Cézanne, and Picasso was more influenced by primitivism.The reason why Picasso "Cézanne" the primitivism works reflects the mutual influence between him and Braque. The first work known as Cubism came from Braque, and the work that is considered to have opened up the road to Cubism was made by Picasso. The first Cubist painting to be shown for the first time at an official painting exhibition was by Braque.Fernand Olivier believed that Braque's work was inspired by Picasso's "Three Women" (Fig. 37) in 1908, and the Spaniards were very angry with his comrades for this.However, Apollinaire did not comment on this, and Max Jacobs said the opposite. He believed that Picasso, who never participated in the official art exhibition, strongly encouraged Braque to participate in this exhibition.

One day in 1912, Braque went into a grocery store and bought a roll of imitation wood paper.He pasted this paper on a canvas and succeeded in creating "Counter and Wine Glass".In this way, he created sticker painting.Picasso also followed suit, and he used a piece of batik cloth to create the cubist paste painting "Still Life on a Wicker Chair" (Fig. 38). In 1911, Braque used a three-dimensional realistic technique and engraved letters and numbers on the hollow template in "Portuguese" (Fig. 39) created by Celette, reflecting the window glass from one tavern to another. Sideways view of a musician while the letters and numbers are written on the glass.A year later, Picasso engraved "Eva the Beautiful" (in praise of his new mistress) on his Violin.He had previously painted this painting on an oval canvas in the manner of Braque.

In 1912, Braque used plant ash, cooking oil and sand in his paintings.A few months later, Picasso also used the same method to create. Inspired by Braque's three-dimensional building made of paper at the end of 1911, in the autumn of 1912, Picasso successfully made "Guitar" out of cardboard. So what? So we agree with Pierre Cabana that when talking about Picasso, he said that "the technique of legal plagiarism" is his usual method.Nino Franck took a harsher view of Picasso: There is no doubt that Picasso is a hero of our time and the most admired artist of our time.His selfishness is very sacred: he is always committed to making use of everything and everyone, taking his own wealth from other people's pockets by all means, the friendship between friends and the love between lovers have all become the objects he uses, and he also takes advantage of him at work. Everything available.Some people think that he made his fortune by using women, which is not unreasonable.

[From Montmartre by Nino Franck, published in 1956] During the war, Picasso did not welcome people to disturb him, but Jean Cocteau came uninvited and met the respected Picasso.The painter led the poet to visit all the studios in Montmartre.The doors of these studios were all ajar. Once they learned that Picasso was coming, they hid all the paintings before he arrived: Some of the other painters in Montmartre said that he (Picasso) would learn my method of painting trees, and some said that he would take away the siphon I wanted to use in the painting.They were afraid of Picasso's visit because they knew that his eyes could take in everything, digest everything, and when he got home he could redraw everything, but they couldn't.

[From Picasso by Jean Cocteau, published in 1996] We can also hear from Picasso himself.Long after the end of the Cubist period, he explained: During those years Braque and he saw each other every day (Max Jacobs and Gertrude Stein had a fondness for the artistic rapport between Picasso and Braque. Great jealousy, because there can never be between them), first at Montmartre, later at Cellet, Sorgue, and Montparnasse.They judge each other and criticize each other.Braque once said that their relationship was akin to the complicity of "grasshoppers on a rope".Indeed, one is deeply inspired by landscapes and still nature, while the other turns from painting objects to painting portraits with ease.The duo wished to create an anonymous collective art, and their works were almost entirely co-authored by the two, so that there is little distinction between all the works of the analytic Cubist phase.Most of the works of this period are not signed, and if there are, they are signed later.Carnville is sometimes positive and sometimes negative about their approach.In his "Interview with Francis Crémy about My Gallery and My Paintings" published in 1961, he pointed out that between 1908 and 1914, the two painters often signed the backs of their works.He can see from it that, like other artists, they avoided destroying the layout of the picture in order to indicate the source of the work.He also agreed with Picasso and Braque, hoping that their works "do not indicate the original author".

Obviously, this is the real common wish of the two of them and has nothing to do with others.Only De Lang and Gris saw this, while Loesche, who considered himself one of the pillars of Cubism (Karnville admitted that he was), disagreed with this view. De Lang was one of the first painters to take a serious interest in black African art, and he was also a great figure of the Cézanne school.After living in Estac for a while, he discovered that in addition to color, the form of the picture and the components that make up the picture are also very important in the paintings depicting nature.At the Independent Art Exhibition in 1907, what he exhibited (Fig. 40) highlighted the geometry of lines.The fullness of the figures in Picasso's "Girl of Avignon" may have been inspired by some of them.De Lang was one of the main figures who contributed to the birth of Cubism, but then he disappeared, letting the two warriors who pasted the stickers slip past him. While Braque and Picasso were engaged in the study of sticker painting and lifelike painting, Gris, who was more intellectual and focused on "scientific research" than the two of them, was also engaged in the research of these two painting techniques.He often said: "Cézanne draws a cylinder starting from a bottle, and I draw a bottle starting from a cylinder." "Dedicated to Picasso" (Fig. 41), expresses his infinite respect to the leader of Cubism in his mind.When the First World War broke out, Gris became the emissary of orthodox Cubism because the founders of Cubism were no longer working together. The world wars separated many, as did Picasso and Braque.Years later, Picasso confided to Carnville that he had last seen Braque and Derain on August 2, 1914.That day, he drove two friends to the Avignon train station. Lieutenant Black was wounded in the war and underwent surgery.Apollinaire awarded the title of "General Cubism" to Picasso, which, ironically, was later taken back by Delang. The two great painters later had a dramatic reunion.But Cubism has disintegrated, a bit like the techniques of creating paintings that they jointly researched and explored: the dislocation, splitting and ups and downs of the human body just rightly herald the coming of a war that will destroy the world. As time passed, Braque became more and more indifferent to his old comrade-in-arms Picasso.The growing distance between them drove Picasso mad, and he still couldn't understand why Braque was so indifferent to him. Unlike Max Jacobs, Braque defends himself.He did not allow Picasso to manipulate him with the means he used to all those attached to him. Picasso admitted that no one loved him like Braque.It can be said that Braque is purely a "Mrs. Picasso".Did Picasso want to take back the "Madame"?But that's just wishful thinking.In the 1950s, in front of Françoise Guillot, who was something of a judge, he staged a brilliant scene that put Picasso in the cold. Picasso came uninvited and went to the mansion of his former close friend Braque.Located near the Montsouris park, this luxurious residence was designed and built by Auguste Perret, a famous French architect at the time.Braque was rather indifferent towards Picasso and less enthusiastic towards Françoise Guillot.His friend never intended to invite them to stay for lunch, and Picasso's self-esteem was hurt even more.After returning to his home in Great August Street, he took down a Braque painting that had hung on the wall of his studio for a long time. A few weeks later, he decided to come to the Black house again with his female companion.He planned to use this visit to test Brac's true feelings for him: they arrived a few minutes before lunch; Shortly before 12 noon, Picasso and Françoise Guillot arrived at the door of the Braque house.The master politely let them into the house.At that time, there happened to be a table of guests who were tasting the fragrant lamb hind legs that had just come out of the pan.Picasso thought the host would immediately add two sets to the table for them, but he was wrong.Afterwards, Françoise Guillot commented on the matter and said: "If Picasso knew Braque from the bottom of his heart, Braque knew Picasso even more." The latter will boss him around even more and laugh at his cowardice even more. He took them into his studio and presented them with an unhurried hour of his latest work.The tangy aroma of mutton rushed upstairs.Picasso was very pleased that he had achieved his intended purpose. Brack was better. He proposed to Picasso and Françoise Guillot to take them to see some of his sculptures.They walked slowly, admiringly.Picasso, who was good at using tricks, reminded that the meat stewed on the fire might be mushy. Braque didn't answer his topic and suggested that they visit some of his lithographic works.People continue to watch.It was past two o'clock in the afternoon, and Picasso began to lose his composure and told Braque that François Guillot didn't understand his Fauvism works. Brack replied, "What does that matter." He thwarted Picasso's tricks on him because the Fauvists were all hanging on the dining room walls. They went downstairs together.There were only three sets of cutlery on the dining table, not many sets. After another half hour, the visitor was still not invited.Picasso was still stubbornly insisting. In order to delay the time, Picasso asked the owner to take them to revisit the paintings they had already seen.Black calmly accepted his request.They passed another hour upstairs and another hour in the studio.At 4:30 in the afternoon, the smell of meat disappeared.Picasso said goodbye.Picasso was furious, but also had feelings of admiration and appreciation for his friend.After this digestive visit, he rehung the removed Braque paintings on the wall of his studio. The two painters used to respect and love each other, but now they are rivals.It is entirely Picasso's natural jealousy that makes this antagonism more and more serious.Like Fernand Olivier, Françoise Guillot also deeply tasted Picasso's pain, because later Picasso was more jealous and indifferent to his lover.According to her account, Levedi published a book with illustrations by Picasso.Another volume followed, with illustrations by Braque.After Picasso learned of this, his anger reached the extreme.Picasso was also very annoyed to hear that the same Levedi spent more time in Braque's house than in his parents.One day, when he went to Braque's house, he found that René Charles, who had not been to his house for several weeks, was there, and he was even more furious! After Braque died, Picasso sent him a lithograph in his memory, which read: "Today, I can say to you that I still love you." Some people were surprised by this, and he was heard to say, "Brac Tried to paint apples like Cézanne, but ended up with potatoes!" Others recalled some of the nasty slurs he spread against some of his past friends, such as Sonia Delaunay. Picasso also surprised more than one person when Juan Gris died.To them, his tears were a bit like those of a crocodile...