Cubism – A Pablo Picasso Specialty

Pablo Picasso, 1910, Girl with a Mandolin (Fanny Tellier), oil on canvas, 100.3 x 73.6 cm, Museum of Modern Art New York
Pablo Picasso, 1910, Girl with a Mandolin (Fanny Tellier), Public Domain (CC0), via Wikipedia

ICubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up, and put back together in an abstracted (not realistic)  form—instead of showing objects from one view, the artist presents the subject from a bunch of different viewpoints to show the subject as a whole.  

Using the handout, you at home can create a cubist piece just like Picasso!

Learn new vocabulary: Analyze, Perspective, Abstracted, Subject

Tool Kit:Picasso PDF Handout, crayons or markers, scissors, and glue. 

Make your own Picasso page 1

Directions:

Step 1 Look online for different Cubist paintings and artists. (Several will be shown in the included video). Picasso is a great place to start . 

Step 2 Analyze the paintings by asking yourself the following questions: Think about how the artwork is made. How do these artists show their subjects from different angles at once? How do they combine the two angles onto one canvas?

Step 3 Using thePicasso PDF Handout, draw a friend or family member from two different angles. One from the front and one from the side. Then, use scissors to cut out parts of both drawings and glue them together on the third sheet. This creates the two perspective style that Picasso was famous for.

Group Activity: Show off your artwork to your friends and family. What do they think of the strange new style? Can they see themselves in the image?

Extend Your Journey: Try and create more Cubist drawings and art from different angles. Maybe one from directly above and one from below? Feel free to experiment and try many different things!