Guitar and Glass

Juan Gris Spanish
1914
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Gris’s meticulous collage technique resembles marquetry, the practice of inlaying wood to create complex patterns. To cut, match, and place the many paper fragments that compose his still lifes required great finesse. In Guitar and Glass, the boudoir pattern of the wallpaper, which imitates Rococo silk, complements the soft, hand-drawn curves of the reclining guitar and contrasts with the geometry of the cutouts and grid lines that anchor the composition. Slender strips of paper representing the instrument’s strings, like the wineglass tipping over the table edge, invite exploratory touch and enhance the sensual implications.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Guitar and Glass
  • Artist: Juan Gris (Spanish, Madrid 1887–1927 Boulogne-sur-Seine)
  • Date: 1914
  • Medium: Cut-and-pasted printed wallpapers, laid paper, gouache, and crayon on paperboard
  • Dimensions: 21 7/8 × 19 5/16 in. (55.5 × 49 cm)
  • Classification: Collages
  • Credit Line: Private collection
  • Rights and Reproduction: Photograph by Lisa Mitchell
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art