The Pocket Cubism

In the early 1900s, two young artists developed a new style of painting which would revolutionize painting and challenge the very nature of Western artistic representation. Inspired by traditional African art, Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque began the practice of painting from multiple perspectives simultaneously, desconstructing their subjects into geometric shapes to emphasize their two-dimensionality. While early critics and traditionalists were shocked by the unfamiliarity of this bold new style, the avant-garde embraced the breakthrough. The works of artists such as Juan Gris, Robert Delaunay, Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger quickly took on the attributes of the movement. Profiling ten of the movement's most prominent artists, and detailing key works, theory, history and the legacy of Cubism, this pocket-sized guide will teach you everything you need to know about this seminal style.