Cubism and Rationalism in Architecture: A Comparative Analysis
1. Classification of Artwork: The Landscape of Stakes
Author
George Braque
Chronology
1908
School or Country
Kuntsmuseum, Bern
Style
Analytical Cubism
2. Theme
This Braque exhibition showcases influences from Cézanne’s paintings, commencing with the decomposition of reality and subsequently reconstructing it from a perspective that maintains multiple viewpoints of a single object.
3. Description of Support and Elements
Elements
- Fabric
- Oil paint with small touches
Plastic Elements
The artwork strives to define the enduring qualities of objects through line and color, retaining a profound effect. The pervasive greenish-blue hue around the box accentuates the work’s unreality, as there is no external light source. Objects radiate their own light. The technique of applying tiny touches to the surface creates a vibrating effect. Brown, gray, and dark green colors emphasize the purity of forms.
Composition
Rectangular prisms with shading are employed to depict the volume of objects, appearing both flat and three-dimensional. The mixture along the bottom of the box and the forms themselves are the result of experimentation and fragmentation. Elements of houses and nature are represented by polyhedral shapes (squares, rectangles, and trapezoids), resembling overlapping quartz crystals. The painting presents a world without a horizon, conveying a sense of order through the concept of ‘tea’: the deployment of each element and the multiplicity of views.
Style
Braque painted these landscapes composed of geometric volumes during his time in Estaque. His style is characterized by bright colors, textured surfaces, and the reappearance of the human figure.
Content and Meaning
From 1908 to 1914, Braque and Picasso’s works explored continuous experimental research (the method) in contrast to Picasso’s approach (rupture). They initially investigated analytical cubism and later transitioned to synthetic cubism. Synthetic cubism does not decompose to rewrite but rather synthesizes.
Role
Braque played a fundamental role in bringing clarity to contemporary art. Key findings include:
- A pictorial approach to the problem of space
- Pigments mixed with sand
- Limitations of wood and marble, inserted into the box
- Printing letters, numbers, and symbols as reasons for creating forms existing only within the painting
1. Classification of Artwork: German Pavilion
Author
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Chronology
1929 (rebuilt in 1968)
School or Country
Barcelona
Style
Rationalism
2. Description of Work
Structural and Technical Elements
- Material: Steel, concrete, glass, travertine marble, onyx, and granite
- Support: The roof structure’s weight is distributed by steel pillars with a silver chrome coating.
- Cover: Supported by eight cruciform steel pillars within a silver box; placed near the walls except for one in the center of the room, near the chairs.
Decorative Elements
The author intentionally omits decorative elements, relying solely on the combination of materials and pure lines to convey the beauty of geometry, interrupted only by the sculpture. Inside, the furniture is designed in the Bauhaus style.
Interior
- Plant Type: A combination of different boxes stacked together, creating a smooth variation between exterior and interior spaces.
- Divisions: The main single-story building stands on a rectangular platform, while a secondary building for offices is located at the opposite end. A rectangular pond separates the two structures, and another pond with a Kolbe sculpture is situated at the end of the main building.
Outdoor Spaces
- Facade: The building itself, with its own facade, rests on a rectangular marble podium.
3. Function
The pavilion was constructed to represent Germany at the 1929 Barcelona Universal Exhibition.
4. Symbolism
The pavilion aimed to symbolize the values of the new Germany (rationality, austerity, transparency, and perfection), marking a radical departure from the old traditions of the German Empire. It showcased the societal changes that had occurred in Germany to the world through the Universal Exhibition.
5. Background and Subsequent Influences
The style originates from the Bauhaus school, which gave rise to architectural rationalism. Rationalism is based on the principle of utilizing all available forms in a rational manner.
6. Relations with Similar Works of the Author or School
Precedents to van der Rohe include Adolf Loos and Walter Gropius (founder of the Bauhaus school). The style stems from the Bauhaus school, which established architectural rationalism. Rationalism is founded on the idea of using all existing forms rationally.
8. Historical and Artistic Context
After World War I, rationalism emerged from the Bauhaus school of architecture and applied arts in Germany, which operated between 1919 and 1933 before being shut down by the Nazis. This school, fundamental to 20th-century architecture and design, was led by architects Walter Gropius, Hannes Meyer, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe during its 14-year existence. Following its closure, many of its teachers relocated to the United States to continue their work freely.