Guitar and Gas Burner

Created in early 1913, the painting Guitar and Gas Burner is a representative example of Synthetic Cubism of the pre-war period, when Picasso began to move away from Analytical Cubism. A reflection of the papier collé method is readily discernible in the picture: the drawing is combined with pasted vertical strips. The combination of techniques and materials enabled Picasso to capture differences in texture and in the light-shaded properties of the portrayed objects' materials. A guitar on a white marble table and a lamp are depicted at the centre of the composition. In terms of its lines, shapes and colours, the images visual impact is one of nearly classical simplicity, resulting from Picasso's search beyond the boundaries of Analytical Cubism.