Portrait of Madame Josette Gris 1 by Juan Gris

This cubist portrait by Juan Gris represents a crucial stage in his research on the deconstruction of the human figure during the Great War. By creating this work entitled “Portrait of Madame Josette Gris 1”, the painter applies the rigorous principles of classic cubism to the representation of the female face. By multiplying viewpoints, he breaks free from the age-old rules of academic portraiture to propose a conceptual and innovative vision. This canvas asserts itself as an essential milestone of his aesthetic modernity.

The woman’s face is decomposed into geometric facets of white, grey, beige, and black hues of great sobriety. Her black and thick hair is stylized by curved vertical lines, evoking a modern and elegant hairstyle. The face is shown simultaneously from the front and in profile, with a well-drawn black eye and an outlined smile. Behind her head, beige and brown geometric planes overlap on a very sober plain blue-grey background. The bottom of the bust is materialized by a semi-circular black shape of great graphic and visual power. The entire composition is organized according to a rigorous geometry where light sculpts the volumes.

The artist’s technical virtuosity is expressed in the remarkable treatment of the oil paint and the harmony of neutral tones. Through lines of mathematical precision and subtle contrasts of values, he confers a striking relief to this fragmented portrait. This mastery confirms the prominent place of Gris in the history of cubism.