Past Exhibition

Aspects of Twentieth-Century Art

A jumble of abstracted objects, including a stringed instrument, tableware, and fruit, are gathered on a tabletop in this horizontal still life painting. The objects are made up of areas of mostly flat color in muted fawn brown, cream, bright white, fern green, slate gray, and black. Many forms are outlined in black, creating the impression that the some shapes are two-dimensional and assembled almost like a collage. To our left, a musical instrument, perhaps a lute, sits next to appears to be lined paper, perhaps abstracted sheet music, at the center of the composition. In front of the paper, two pieces of pale yellow fruit sit on a silver plate. A rolled up white napkin sits next to the plate in front of an urn and a jug. A steel-gray goblet sits to the left of the plate. The background behind the table is painted with zones of moss green, sky blue, and gray. The edges appear torn, as if the painting is done on a loose canvas or sheet of paper that was then affixed to a support. The surface of the painting is rough and appears scratched throughout, and looks as if paint had been applied when nearly dry. The artist signed and dated the painting in white near the lower left corner: “G Braque 28.”
Georges Braque, Still Life: The Table, 1928, oil on canvas, Chester Dale Collection, 1963.10.92

Details

  • Dates

    -

  • Locations

    East Building, Tower Gallery, Upper Level, West Bridge (6,000 sq. ft.) and Mezzanine
A jumble of abstracted objects, including a stringed instrument, tableware, and fruit, are gathered on a tabletop in this horizontal still life painting. The objects are made up of areas of mostly flat color in muted fawn brown, cream, bright white, fern green, slate gray, and black. Many forms are outlined in black, creating the impression that the some shapes are two-dimensional and assembled almost like a collage. To our left, a musical instrument, perhaps a lute, sits next to appears to be lined paper, perhaps abstracted sheet music, at the center of the composition. In front of the paper, two pieces of pale yellow fruit sit on a silver plate. A rolled up white napkin sits next to the plate in front of an urn and a jug. A steel-gray goblet sits to the left of the plate. The background behind the table is painted with zones of moss green, sky blue, and gray. The edges appear torn, as if the painting is done on a loose canvas or sheet of paper that was then affixed to a support. The surface of the painting is rough and appears scratched throughout, and looks as if paint had been applied when nearly dry. The artist signed and dated the painting in white near the lower left corner: “G Braque 28.”
Georges Braque, Still Life: The Table, 1928, oil on canvas, Chester Dale Collection, 1963.10.92

Overview: Such diverse artists as Georges Braque, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore, and Amedeo Modigliani were included in an informal survey of 3 of the many European chapters in pre-World War II art.

Organization: The works were selected by E.A. Carmean Jr. primarily from the Gallery's collection, and supplemented by loans from Paul Mellon and other friends of the museum as well as potential donors. Charles Parkhurst coordinated and designed the exhibition. The 5 large-scale Matisse cut-outs were installed in the Tower Gallery; plates from the Jazz portfolio were hung in the adjoining elevator lobby.

Catalog: Aspects of Twentieth-Century Art. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1978.

You may also like

Exhibition:  Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985

Exhibition:  The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art