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by
Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Published on June 19, 2020 / Updated on October 14, 2023
Email: [email protected] / Phone: +44 7429 011000

Juan Gris was an artist who took everyday objects and produced modern, uplifting still life paintings from them. He was a unique voice within the Cubist movement, offering a more grounded influence on some of the more revolutionary-minded.

There were several items that appear again and again through out the Cubist period, with many different members of the group making use of them at some point. Newspapers are seen regularly and Gris liked to present these "as were", whilst others would shred them or alter them in other ways.

Common Cubist Themes

Other elements that you might find on a breakfast table are also too be found here, such as bottles, bowls, fruit and cutlery. Beyond the breakfast theme, musical instruments can also be found in a number of Cubist paintings, most frequently guitars. Juan Gris himself made use of different types of guitars in a large number of still life works, whilst Picasso actually produced abstract versions of them out of cardboard during his time working with other mediums.

Beyond these domestic scenes, the artist would then take on some landscape paintings, many portraits of friends, family and colleagues as well as also some scenes of entertainment from his busy social life. One intriguing aspect of the Cubist movement is that Juan Gris was the only member of this group that genuinely unsettled its figurehead, Pablo Picasso, through the quality of his work. For the naturally confident Picasso to feel threatened by another is particularly rare, and underlines the qualities that he saw in his colleague's work.

Partnership with Braque and Picasso

Whilst the two worked together alongside Georges Braque in the early days of the Cubist movement, it was becoming clear that French art was moving on from what had gone before and a number of astute collectors started to pin their hopes on this particular group of creative young men. The likes of Daniel Henry Kahnweiler would take a punt on large collections of these artist's work which would arrive in bulk, in a disorganised assortment of sketches and paintings. Picasso was certainly the main focus at this point but others were also being recognised because of their connection to the Cubist movement.

The members of the Cubist movement would seek to avoid the traditional routes for promoting one's career and instead relied on their private collectors to open up other avenues of promotion. They were connected to a number of other galleries that were willing to feature their work and this method seemed to be very much in line with their desire to offer the art world something new. Kahnweiler was particularly useful in providing contacts to promote their careers, but he also held a clear financial interest in doing so, because it was raise the prices of many of the items that he had already purchased.

Promotion of Cubism Internationally

The likes of Picasso and Braque would also then start to promote cubist paintings abroad for the first time as the group moved from strength to strength by around the early 1910s. The earliest official cubist shows at this point were actually arranged by Metzinger and Gleizes, with the main three names still somewhat on the fringes, stylistically.

Juan Gris was an exceptionally versatile artist, who even produced costumes for the Ballet Russes at one point in his career. Whilst his sculptures and skills as a draughtsman are also both well respected, it is his paintings within the modern art movement of Cubism that will always receive the most focus. Having studied several particularly rigid academic subjects as a student, Gris wanted to push this type of education away and go for a more flexible direction in his working life.

It was his early ability in drawing that got him admitted into art schools and from there he could spread his interest into other avenues of artistic expression. It would then be his friendships and collaborations with other artists that would complete his journey towards achieving the impressive and varied oeuvre that you find listed in this section.


Grapes Juan Gris
Grapes
Guitar and Clarinet Juan Gris
Guitar and Clarinet
Guitar and Glass Juan Gris
Guitar and Glass
Guitar and Glasses Juan Gris
Guitar and Glasses
Guitar and Music Paper Juan Gris
Guitar and Music Paper
Guitar and Pipe Juan Gris
Guitar and Pipe
Guitar on a Chair Juan Gris
Guitar on a Chair
Guitar on a Table Juan Gris
Guitar on a Table
Guitar on the Table Juan Gris
Guitar on the Table
Harlequin at a Table Juan Gris
Harlequin at a Table
Harlequin with Guitar Juan Gris
Harlequin with Guitar
Lamp Juan Gris
Lamp
Landscape at Beaulieu Juan Gris
Landscape at Beaulieu
Landscape Juan Gris
Landscape
Landscape with House at Ceret Juan Gris
Landscape with House at Ceret
Man in the Cafe Juan Gris
Man in the Cafe
Newspaper and Fruit Dish Juan Gris
Newspaper and Fruit Dish
Newspaper with Coffee Mill Juan Gris
Newspaper with Coffee Mill
Open Window with Hills Juan Gris
Open Window with Hills
Pears and Grapes on a Table Juan Gris
Pears and Grapes on a Table
Pedestal Table in Front of the Window Juan Gris
Pedestal Table in Front of the Window
Photograph of Violin and Checkerboard Juan Gris
Photograph of Violin and Checkerboard
Photograph of the Guitar Juan Gris
Photograph of the Guitar
Pierrot I Juan Gris
Pierrot I
Pierrot II Juan Gris
Pierrot II
Pierrot with Guitar Juan Gris
Pierrot with Guitar
Pipe and Fruit Dish with Grapes Juan Gris
Pipe and Fruit Dish with Grapes
Portrait of a Man Juan Gris
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of Germaine Raynal Juan Gris
Portrait of Germaine Raynal
Portrait of Madame Josette Gris Juan Gris
Portrait of Madame Josette Gris
Portrait of Maurice Raynal Juan Gris
Portrait of Maurice Raynal
Portrait of Pablo Picasso Juan Gris
Portrait of Pablo Picasso
Portrait of the Artist's Mother Juan Gris
Portrait of the Artist's Mother
Saint Matorel Juan Gris
Saint Matorel
Seltzer Bottle and Glass Juan Gris
Seltzer Bottle and Glass
Still Life Before an Open Window, Place Ravignan Juan Gris
Still Life Before an Open Window, Place Ravignan
Still Life Dedicated to Andre Salmon Juan Gris
Still Life Dedicated to Andre Salmon
Still Life on a Chair Juan Gris
Still Life on a Chair
Still Life with Bottle and Cigars Juan Gris
Still Life with Bottle and Cigars
Still Life with Checked Tablecloth Juan Gris
Still Life with Checked Tablecloth
Still Life with Flowers Juan Gris
Still Life with Flowers
Still Life with Fruit Bowl and Mandolin Juan Gris
Still Life with Fruit Bowl and Mandolin
Still Life with Oil Lamp Juan Gris
Still Life with Oil Lamp
Still Life with White Tablecloth Juan Gris
Still Life with White Tablecloth
Table Overlooking the Sea Juan Gris
Table Overlooking the Sea
The Basket of Pears Juan Gris
The Basket of Pears
The Bottle of Anis del Mono Juan Gris
The Bottle of Anis del Mono
The Coffee Grinder Juan Gris
The Coffee Grinder
The Garden Juan Gris
The Garden
The Guitar with Inlay Juan Gris
The Guitar with Inlay
The Musician's Table Juan Gris
The Musician's Table
The Open Book Juan Gris
The Open Book
The Open Window Juan Gris
The Open Window
The Packet of Tobacco Juan Gris
The Packet of Tobacco
The Reader Juan Gris
The Reader
The Three Masks Juan Gris
The Three Masks
The Violin Juan Gris
The Violin
The Watch and Sherry Bottle Juan Gris
The Watch and Sherry Bottle
Three Lamps Juan Gris
Three Lamps
Two Pierrots Juan Gris
Two Pierrots
View Across the Bay Juan Gris
View Across the Bay
Violin and Glass Juan Gris
Violin and Glass
Water Bottle, Bottle and Fruit Dish Juan Gris
Water Bottle, Bottle and Fruit Dish
Woman with a Mandolin after Corot Juan Gris
Woman with a Mandolin after Corot
Woman with Basket Juan Gris
Woman with Basket