Delightfully original, this book establishes Cubism's intrinsic connection to the traditional art of pictorial illusion The age-old artistic tradition of illusionistic realism known as trompe l'oeil ("deceive the eye") beguiles us with visual tricks and confounds our perception of reality and fiction. Presenting a radically new take on Cubism, this book shows how Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Juan Gris parodied classic trompe l'oeil motifs and devices while inventing playful, original ways of challenging the viewer's perception. Insightful, handsomely illustrated essays explore connections between the Cubists and the trompe l'oeil artists of earlier centuries with whom they engaged in creative one-upmanship. Essays discuss the previously unstudied trompe l'oeil iconography within Cubist still lifes; the history of the trompe l'oeil genre and its changing status over the centuries; the materials and processes used in Gris's collages; Braque's grounding in trompe l'oeil interior decoration techniques; and more. Over one hundred illustrated works juxtapose Cubist paintings, drawings, and collages with related compositions by the old masters. This handsome volume, which reveals the surprising origins of some of Cubism's most recognized motifs, is essential reading for anyone interested in the development of modern art.

The unexpected encounter of a rubber glove, a green ball and the head from the classical statue of the Apollo Belvedere gives rise to one of the most compelling paintings in the history of modernist art: Giorgio de Chirico's "The Song of Love" (1914). De Chirico made his career in Paris in the years before World War I, combining his nostalgia for ancient Mediterranean culture with his fascination for the curios found in Parisian shop windows. Beloved by the Surrealists, this uncanny image exemplifies de Chirico's radical "metaphysical" painting, which creates a disturbing sense of unreality, outside logical space and time, through the novel depiction of ordinary things. Emily Braun's essay explores the sources behind the work's enigmatic motifs, its influence on avant-garde painters and poets, and its continuing ability to captivate viewers as de Chirico intended, even a century after it was made.

The complex facets of Cubism remain relevant subjects in art history today, a century after Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque developed the revolutionary style. This impressive collection of essays by international experts presents new lines of inquiry, including novel readings of individual objects or groups of works through close visual, material, and archival analysis; detailed studies of how Cubism related to intellectual and political movements of the early 20th century; and accounts of crucial moments in the reception of Cubism by curators, artists, and critics. Generous illustrations of paintings, drawings, and sculptures, some familiar but others virtually unknown, support this wide range of approaches to the pioneering works of Picasso, Braque, Fernand Leger, Juan Gris, and others. Distributed for the National Gallery of Art, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts

An innovative new history of Cubism told through some of the most significant artworks ever produced, drawn from a distinguished private collection This groundbreaking new history of Cubism, based on works from the most significant private collection in the world today, is written by many of the field's premier art historians and scholars. The collection, recently donated to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, includes 80 works by Picasso, Braque, Gris, and Leger and is unsurpassed in the number of masterpieces and iconic pieces deemed critical to the development of Cubism. Twenty-two essays explore various facets of Cubism from its origins and consider small groupings of works in light of specific themes-such as a study by neuropsychiatrist Eric Kandel on Cubism and the science of perception. Also included is a fascinating interview in which Lauder discusses his approach to collecting. This is a work to place beside other great histories of Modernism. It is a comprehensive, copiously illustrated book that offers a greater understanding of Cubism and will stand as a resource on this pioneering style for many years to come. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (10/20/14-02/16/15)