The Cubist movement: History, characteristics and main artists

The Cubist art movement developed in the early 20th century and is widely regarded as the first period of modern art. Although it had its roots in the post-impressionnist style, it broke many traditional rules of painting. The aim of this movement was to explore and enhance the concept of form and volume. To achieve this, Cubist painters used techniques such as splitting objects into geometric shapes and layering them to flatten their sides on a single canvas. The main artists associated with this movement were Pablo Picasso, Robert Delaunay and Georges Braque, who, along with other Cubist artists, had an enormous influence on future generations of painters, sculptors, architects and photographers.

Focusing on shapes such as cubes, cylinders and rectangles, Cubist artists sought to create emotionally charged works that challenged existing concepts of form and beauty. The decomposition of objects into geometric shapes allows the artist to represent his subject from several points of view simultaneously. In terms of colour, warm colours, ranging from earth tones to bright oranges, as well as cooler colours, such as blues and greens, were used across a range of media in the Cubist style. From paintings on canvas to sculptures made from a variety of materials, Cubism continues to influence art today because of its iconic combination of texture, form and colour.

was a prominent French painter of the early 20th century, acclaimed for his post-impressionist works with Cubist influences. He used strong contours and colourful geometric shapes against muted backgrounds to create hypnotic compositions. His most famous paintings are The Bathers (1912) and The Conquest of the Air (1913). He often used a high vantage point in his works, as if from an aeroplane, thus introducing aerial perspectives into the painting. In addition, he experimented and played with various media and materials, combining oil paint with sand and plaster, among other everyday objects. Overall, Roger's works were revolutionary new explorations of Cubism and Impressionism that brought us into a new era of modern art.

Georges Braque (1882-1963) was a French artist and one of the founders of the Cubist movement, alongside Pablo Picasso. Braque began to explore cubist ideas in his paintings from 1908, and worked closely with Picasso to develop this innovative artistic approach. Braque's Cubist style is characterised by the use of geometric shapes, reduced colour and an approach to perspective that allows objects to be depicted from several angles simultaneously. Among his best-known works are "The Bottle of Suze" (1912) and "The Portuguese" (1911), both of which had a significant impact on modern and contemporary art.

Robert Delaunay was a cubist painter, known for experimenting with cubism in his artworks. He was born in Paris and painting was just a hobby and pastime for him until he was recognised by the established Cubists of the time. His techniques focus on the exploration of colour, light and movement, which gives a vibrant meaning to Cubism. His most famous painting is known as "The Windows", which illustrates his work using fragmented colour creations and a layered cubist style to capture the dynamism of everyday life. His work was greatly inspired by the modern science and technology of the period. He also wrote several books to explain the workings of his cubist theory, such as "The First Case of Simultaneity" and "The Sun of Meunier". Robert Delaunay's cubist paintings played a major role in establishing cubism as an art form in the early 20th century - there is no doubt that he had a huge impact on the art world at the time. was a cubist painter, known for experimenting with cubism in his artworks. He was born in Paris and painting was just a hobby and pastime for him until he was recognised by the established Cubists of the time. His techniques focus on the exploration of colour, light and movement, which gives a vibrant meaning to Cubism. His most famous painting is known as "The Windows", which illustrates his work using fragmented colour creations and a layered cubist style to capture the dynamism of everyday life. His work was greatly inspired by the modern science and technology of the period. He also wrote several books to explain the workings of his cubist theory, such as "The First Case of Simultaneity" and "The Sun of Meunier". Robert Delaunay's cubist paintings played a major role in establishing cubism as an art form in the early 20th century - there is no doubt that he had a huge impact on the art world at the time.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was a Spanish artist and one of the pioneers of the Cubist movement. He began exploring this revolutionary approach to art in the 1900s, working closely with Georges Braque. Picasso's Cubist style is characterised by a fragmentation of space into geometric shapes and a reinvention of traditional perspective by favouring a simultaneous view from different angles. His best-known works include "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" (1907) and "Guernica" (1937), both of which have significantly influenced the history of modern and contemporary art.

Paul Klee was a Cubist painter and graphic artist known for his playful, often childlike works. Using cubism in his paintings, Klee drew inspiration from music, literature and imagination to observe subjects such as the nature of time, the aesthetics of colour and drawing, metaphysical aspects of the world and even popular puns. His style of abstract cubist painting was inspired by the lines, shapes and colours he observed in everyday life. Klee often used elements such as fire or smoke to create his own unique cubist works. Two of Klee's most famous Cubist works are "Red Balloon", from 1922, and "Castle and Sun", from 1928, both of which illustrate his approach to Cubism: a simple composition with brilliant detail and an attractive aesthetic quality.

The German painter Franz Marc was one of the first Cubists, whose formal style of painting and intense exploration of colour helped make Cubism an important movement. His use of flattened perspective, geometric abstraction and intersecting planes attempted to challenge traditional painting approaches. Marc also had a deep connection with nature, which is reflected in many of his cubist works. His cubist paintings often depict animals such as horses and cats, most often as two-dimensional planes in bright primary colours, arranged in a fragmented fashion. Among Franz Marc's most famous paintings are The Fate of Animals (1913), The Tiger (1912) and Blue Horse I (1911).