The Table (Still Life with Fan)

"The Table (Still Life with Fan)," created by Georges Braque in 1910, is a pivotal example of Analytical Cubism, a revolutionary style developed by Braque and Pablo Picasso during this period. Executed in oil on canvas, this painting embodies the severe fragmentation and intellectual rigor that characterized their joint exploration of form and space. The painting was likely completed during a key transitional moment in the artist's life, placed historically in the classification of L'Estaque or Paris, fall 1910.

Braque’s work moves radically away from traditional representation, using a restricted palette of browns, grays, and ochres. This near-monochromatic color scheme forces the viewer to focus entirely on the structure of the composition, rather than descriptive color. The still life objects, including the titular fan and various elements of the table setting, are dissected into sharp, interlocking geometric facets that merge with the background plane. This technique presents multiple viewpoints of the objects simultaneously, challenging the illusionistic space inherited from traditional French painting.

This sophisticated piece demonstrates the artist’s mastery of spatial rhythm. Braque introduces shallow, overlapping planes that oscillate between three-dimensionality and flatness, requiring the viewer to actively reconstruct the depicted objects. The canvas is a foundational work in the history of modern art, representing the apex of high Analytical Cubism. The piece currently resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Due to the historical importance of this painting, high-quality art prints and scholarly reproductions of this iconic Braque still life are frequently referenced by students and researchers worldwide.