Cubist Still Life

Louis Bouche, Cubist Still Life, 1918, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of LaSalle Spier, 1980.124.5
Copied Louis Bouche, Cubist Still Life, 1918, oil on canvas, 17 x 15 in. (43.2 x 38.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of LaSalle Spier, 1980.124.5

Artwork Details

Title
Cubist Still Life
Artist
Date
1918
Location
Dimensions
17 x 15 in. (43.2 x 38.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of LaSalle Spier
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract — geometric
  • Still life — fruit
  • Still life — written matter — book
  • Still life — other — container
Object Number
1980.124.5
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.124.5

Artwork Description

Louis Bouché painted this image in New York, a few years after he returned from Paris. He was inspired by the work of the cubist painters, who reduced nature to simple geometric forms. Here, he fragmented the shapes in this still life to create a distorted view of a tabletop. The dark colors and sharp angles create an almost threatening atmosphere that underlies the ordinariness of the objects.