Still Life by the Bathroom Window, 1942, Centre Pompidou, Musée National d'Art Moderne Collection
Studio (IX), 146x146cm, 1952-1953/56, Centre Pompidou, Musée National d'Art Moderne Collection

This is one of Braque’s important late-period series, derived from his still lifes. Amidst generally dark and somber tones, this work features touches of bright colors: pink on the palette, yellow, gray with light blue, and intense reflected reds. Like finishing touches, these make the scene more lively, interpreting the painter’s conception of paradise through the transformation of studio objects.

Creating objects means creating the space they bring forth, finding ways to achieve a sensory perspective while avoiding traditional linear perspective. Visual liberation lies in the unity of theme and object. Braque stated: “I have made a great discovery: I have nothing to believe in; for me, objects do not exist except in the harmonious relationship between them, and similarly outside themselves. When we reach this harmony, we reach an intellectual space.”

For a long time, Braque abandoned landscapes, focusing instead on still lifes. He intended to create works that moved viewers as much as landscape paintings did, involving a tactile space just like other subjects.