Glass Vessels

Picasso spent the summer of 1906 in Spain, where he produced a group of still lifes to which this painting belongs. Prior to this the artist had not been attracted by still life as an independent genre, but from now on it was to occupy a firm place in his work. This first look at still life was evidence of Picasso's growing interest in revealing the constructional essence of his subject. In this simple composition, of classical clarity, each object exists within its own spatial zone whilst being subordinate both to the strict compositional overall rhythm and to the rationale of confrontation and interaction. Volume is brought to the fore and this in turn leads to a change in colouring, now built up of reddish-browns, yellowish-reds and greyish-white hues. This tonality, like the clear composition, gives the still life a sense of monumentality and unity.