Phillips Collection opens Georges Braque and the Cubist Still Life

The Phillips Collection presents Georges Braque and the Cubist Still Life, 1928–1945 is on view from June 8 through September 1, 2013, featuring 44 sumptuous canvases by the great French cubist master Georges Braque (1882–1963), along with related objects, from the tumultuous years leading up to and through World War II, a time of great experimentation for the artist.

The exhibition reveals insights into his creative process at a time when he used the motif of still life as a source of inspiration to synthesize cubist discoveries. In-depth technical analysis of several works uncovers details about Braque’s meticulous use of materials and his interest in creating a tactile painted surface.

Early in his career, Georges Braque, along with Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), made a tremendous impact on modern art as co-founder of the cubist movement. But until now, Braque’s works created between 1928 and 1945 have largely been neglected. This exhibition illuminates the period when Braque broke away from his former associate and honed his individual style. It highlights Braque’s experiments with color, scale, and texture—from intimate interiors in the late 1920s, to vibrant, large-scale canvases in the 1930s, to darker and more personal works in the 1940s.

Braque frequently painted several canvases at once, in sequences exploring variations of the same motif. The exhibition reunites for the first time in over 80 years the Rosenberg Quartet (1928–29), four related paintings created for Braque’s dealer Paul Rosenberg. Other notable groupings include The Pink Table Cloth (1933), Still Life with Guitar (Red Curtains) (1937–38), and Fruit Glass and Mandolin (1938), works defined by their textured surfaces and shared approach to subject, color, and composition.

Tickets: Available at the museum and www.phillipscollection.org