Types of CUBISM: primitive, analytical and synthetic

He cubism is an avant-garde artistic movement that shook the European art scene from 1907 and that represented a complete break with traditionalist academicism. A movement that represented a true revolution in art and the seed of a change that led artists to explore reality from a new geometric perspective.

In this lesson from unPROFESOR.com we tell you what cubism is, its most outstanding characteristics and what types of cubism exist. Find out with us!

He cubism was a artistic movement that broke with the classical pictorial models and in full force since the Renaissance.

His name was given by the critic louis vauxcelles who, after attending an exhibition of Georges Braque (1882-1963), pointed out that the exhibited works reduced everything to cubes.

A movement as transcendental and intense as cubism presents three stages essential.

Primitive Cubism or Cubism under the influence of Cézanne (1907-1909)

• It is considered as a primitive or austere period in which the influence of the French painter is appreciated.
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  Paul Cezanne. A post-impressionist painter who was characterized by simplifying forms and applying unique proportions and perspectives.
• The first cubists were austere in color, applying brown and gray tones, in addition to leaving aside the traditional perspective.

Analytical Cubism or Hermetic Cubism (1910-1912)

• He analytical cubism breaks down reality into multiple planes, leaving aside the desire to be credible and provide a new conceptual proposal.
• Thus, the artists proceed to combine the three-dimensionality of reality with the two-dimensionality of the canvas.
• The angles and straight lines dominate the composition, while unreal lighting is applied from different points. Neutral, monochrome colors are used, preferring shades of grey, cream, brown, blue and green.
• The theme it is usually the still lifes in which bottles, musical instruments, pipes, glasses and, to a lesser extent, the human figure appear. The works became almost abstract, making objects almost unrecognizable.
• The most traditionalists rejected this movement, while its theorists, GWilliam Apollinaire or Gertrude Stein, begin to write about its foundations.

Synthetic Cubism (1913-1914)

• In this period breaks with the imitation of nature and materials and textures such as plastics, glass, fabrics, sand and non-pictorial objects begin to be introduced.
• He collage it becomes a whole genre.
• In this stage color is added, as well as words and numbers.
• Synthetic cubism moved between reality and pictorial illusion, although the paintings became more figurative and easier to interpret by being reduced only to the elemental, without playing with planes and volumes. A more imaginative, colorful and free stage.

After these three stages, cubism came to an end. A very short-lived artistic movement that disappeared at the start of the First War World Cup, but which had an extraordinary influence, serving as a source of inspiration for the artists. Only Juan Gris remained faithful to cubism, although with a more austere and simple style.

In addition to Pablo Picasso(1881-1973), a key figure of cubism and considered one of the founders of this style, others also stand out artists:

• Georges Braque (1882-1963)
• Jean Metzinger (1883-1956)
• Albert Gleizes (1881-1953)
• Robert Delanay (1885-1945)
• John Gray (1887-1927)
• Maria Blanchard (1881-1932).