Art Work Exploration - Research Paper Example

Using these shapes, painters are able to depict motion and texture, which are similar characteristics of a realist or an expressionist painting. Cubism as a movement is a creative, intelligent, innovative, and challenging style that encompasses the use of definite shapes to depict visible subjects by creating an optical illusion that is appealing to the viewers’ eyes. Picasso’s painting, Bather (1908 to 1909), will be used to highlight important features of cubism. This is one of the earliest works of cubism.

The painting incorporates the use of oil on canvas. In the painting, reality is not the key focus, but rather the author concentrates on the use of rounded shapes to paint a visible subject. The subject is a black woman taking a bath by the ocean or a large water body. The subject holds a towel in one hand whereas the other is placed on her head. The unique feature of this painting is that it depicts the front, back and side of the subject at the same time. Ovals and circular shapes are the main shapes used in a majority of cubist paintings.

In The Bather, a circular shape depicts the face whereas the eyes have been portrayed using oval shapes with sharp edges. The tummy and the region below the torso employ the use of spheres. Regardless, Picasso uses the varied shapes in a clever way that not only highlights a visible subject, but also appeal to the viewer’s eyes. The bather is a representation of the abstract use of shapes to portray a realistic subject. Most cubist paintings however are not subject specific, and in consequence, might entail the use of shapes all through the painting.

Although celebrated as an exceptional cubist painter, Picasso was a controversial individual. The Bather is one of the most controversial pieces that Picasso ever painted. Unlike most painters who obscure controversial features, Picasso boldly paints a nude subject and makes it marketable. The Bather, which is currently on display in the Museum of Modern Arts in New York, is recognized as a controversial painting because of its level of nudity. The comments about the paintings controversy died out quickly (Deardorff 1).

This is because the painting uses cubism, and in consequence limits controversy owing to its abstract nature. Cubism fosters creativity. Unlike most artistic movements, which solely display the level of expertise in a painter, cubism challenges painters to be creative and use mere shapes to depict their subjects (Sewell 32). As such, cubist painters, such as Picasso are believed to be intelligent and creative as compared to other painters. If given a challenge to paint using mere shapes, it would be difficult for any individual to develop a sensible and appreciable painting.

The level of Picasso’s intelligence is illustrated by his ability to show both the front and the back simultaneously. Cubism developed at a time when the world was undergoing vast change, with people being innovative as the industrial revolution was just peaking. The change in technology and the world as a whole might have stimulated the development of cubism (Wibberley 2). Before cubism, most painters used the conventional ways of painting, such as expressionism and realism. Even so, cubism and abstract painting styles brought change into the industry using innovative and creative ideas to develop paintings.

It surpasses the conventional