Georges Braque ⁽¹⁾

Georges Braque (1882–1963) was the French artist who, along with Pablo Picasso, co-founded Cubism and basically turned the art world upside down (literally and figuratively). Before Braque and Picasso got their hands on the canvas, painting was all about perspective, realism, and keeping things "pretty." But Braque said, “What if we looked at the same object from every angle at the same time?” Enter Cubism, where the traditional way of seeing things was shattered like a glass vase, only to be reassembled in geometric fragments.

Braque’s early work was influenced by Impressionism and Fauvism, but it wasn’t until he partnered with Picasso that his style truly evolved into the abstract, fragmented world of Cubism. His works, often featuring still lifes and everyday objects, were rendered in flat planes and multiple perspectives, forcing the viewer to work a little harder to see the whole picture. But this wasn’t just about challenging how we view objects; it was about exploring space and form in ways that were revolutionary. Braque didn’t just paint the surface—he painted the very idea of what you were looking at. His use of muted colors and subtle textures gave Cubism a quiet, almost poetic quality that contrasted with the often chaotic energy of the movement. So next time you’re staring at a Braque painting, just remember: he was probably seeing a whole lot more than you were—just in a much more fragmented way!