Braque, Georges (1938). Still Life with Fruit and Stringed Instrument [oil and sand on canvas].

Braque creates patterns and textures through restricted line formats and recognizable shapes encapsulated in larger, more abstract shapes. The objects interlock in an almost puzzle-like manner to create highly decorative depth. A wide variety of shapes are used; meandering, organic, rigid, geometric and curvilinear. Color use is interesting but I cannot identify what the actual strategy is. | 

If not for the title, it would take some time to identify the subjects. This work is created with oil and sand applied to canvas. There is a wide variety of shapes in this work, which are the primary elements used. They are twisted and bent to conform to the picture plane, resulting in a flat and interesting work. Shapes are either highlighted by a rough, dense white stroke or are simply defined by their natural edges. Those that represent space-spanning devices, like table tops, floors and walls, are textured with various motifs.

Solid objects and negative space are distilled, sometimes forced, into simplified planar shapes. Their proximity to each other and overlapping manner create a shallow and consistent sense of depth. The careful manner in which the planes and shapes fit together gives this work a natural sense of rest, and therefore balance. This is supported and not contradicted by the use of color and value. 

There is near-numerical balance between rigid and curved, natural and artificial, and edge-separated and edge-interlocked forms. A rich range of purity is employed. There is heavy use of textures and high-key values. The picture plane actually dominates most choices relating to how the pictorial elements are formatted. 

The most complex positive shapes are grouped toward the center of the work, slightly favoring the right side. Simpler forms populate the outer edge of the canvas. Eye movement mimics the oval-shape of the table the positive shapes rest on; the use of white and high-key colors further organizes eye movement. The frame highlights the central portion of the painting. Even though many of the elements created in this work are rough and jagged, Braques’ rhythmic arrangement of them and considered use of light values subtly controls the energy of this work well.