Mandolin and Fruit Dish

Georges Braque French

Not on view

This painting is one of the first Cubist works by Braque to feature a musical instrument. His inclusion of food and drink recalls the tradition of allegorical still lifes that represent the five senses. Braque’s tabletop display includes a glass with two straws, a mandolin, a compote with two pears, a lemon, and an open book or, more likely, pages of sheet music with staves (lines) for musical notation. The center of the composition is luminous and pale, possibly to indicate a ray of bright light washing over the studio ensemble.

Mandolin and Fruit Dish, Georges Braque (French, Argenteuil 1882–1963 Paris), Oil on canvas

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