“Table by a Window,” created by Jean Metzinger in 1917, is a quintessential piece of the Cubism movement, falling under the still life genre. The artwork employs the characteristic fragmented and abstracted approach of Cubism to depict a table situated by a window.
The painting prominently features geometric forms and planar structures with various colors and textures overlapping each other. At the forefront, there is a composition of everyday objects one would typically find on a table, including a vase of flowers, a cup, and a piece of printed paper or newspaper. The table surface is represented through intersecting planes, creating a sense of depth and shattered dimension. The background showcases a window through which the outside world, characterized by architectural fragments, is faintly visible, enhancing the three-dimensional perspective. The utilization of contrasting colors such as deep reds, bright yellows, and muted grays not only injects vibrancy but also highlights the modernistic style of the piece. This abstract manipulation of form and space exemplifies the Cubist pursuit of depicting multiple perspectives concurrently.
