Created by Spanish painter Juan Gris in 1921, The Open Window is an oil painting that exemplifies the artist’s mastery of Cubism. The painting was originally titled La fenêtre ouverte, and conveys a sense of real and yet surreal urban life in its indistinct figures and abstract shapes. Its physical dimensions are 65 by 100 cm, with the original purchased in 1999. Currently located at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS) in Madrid, Spain, the painting has been widely reproduced with many variations on-order online.
Juan Gris’ artwork not only illustrates the influence of Cubism on his style, but also how other art movements influenced his works – like fauvism and post-impressionism. His use of w1000 x h660 mm frames provides slight insight into a greater aspect at play – a greater structure providing organisation within which all subjects exist – be it a visual or symbolic representation of his creative ideas.
The Open Window stands testament to Juan Gris’ ability to meld the different influences he encountered into his artwork through adoption of new artistic styles and techniques. Similarly, another work resulting from this integration is The Mountain Le Canigou (1921). This later piece features definitive parallels to the compositions found in La fenêtre ouverte displaying small idiosyncrasies such as common colour palette and 2D/3D construction planes. Together these works reveal how Juan Girs’ creations were inherently impacted by constantly adapting styles throughout his lifetime, whilst maintaining some subtle threads between them.
