Literature, Arts and the Humanities: Analysis and Interpretation According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Cubism is one of the most influential visual arts styles of the early twentieth century” (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htm, n.d.). Previous periods of art tried to mimic nature and cubism rejected that theory. They were known to use multiple viewpoints. The paintings disassembled and reassembled an object in abstract form. The world was very turbulent during the time when cubism was beginning. There were many scientific, cultural and technological discoveries occurring during this time. All the changes in human history were causing many artists to look at their world differently. Cubism looked at objects from different perspectives and the changes occurring during the artists’ time. Most art pieces of this time were not valued in the same manner they are today. The preeminent artist of Cubism is Picasso. The twentieth century Cubism movement spawned most modern art forms. At the height of disassembly art was Geometric Abstraction. This form uses simple geometric forms. They do not represent anything in nature. There was no attempt at creating three-dimensional space. The paintings during this time use straight lines and curves in a linear pattern.
This form of art is at times seen as a twentieth century invention, although it can be found as far back as the 5th century (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-geometric-abstraction.htm, n.d.). Similar turbulence of the Cubism period can be seen within the Geometric Abstract period. Most artists of this period were exploring the expansion of their Cubism roots.
Many art movements deviate from one to the next. Cubism was the first of the modern arts. With the deviation from paintings that were produced to recreate natural things artists were freer to explore true artisanship. Cubism disassembled things and looked at them from multiple viewpoints. Geometric abstraction expanded on the works of cubism and explored even more non-traditional paintings.
In 1907, Picasso painted “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” (The Young Ladies of Avignon). The painting was controversial and led to wide anger and disagreement, even amongst his closest associates and friends (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Demoiselles_d’Avignon, n.d.). People were not accustomed to paintings with multiple viewpoints. The oil-based painting is of five nude women. Similarly to Picasso, Kazimir Severinovich Malevich was a pioneer in the Geometric Abstract movement. In 1913, Malevich released a painting called the “Black Square”. It was the first time someone had created a painting of nothing. Robert Linsley is quoted saying, “Malevich is usually understood as having accomplished the first and most consequential reduction of painting, with the Black Square representing what might be called an essence of disappearance—pure painting utterly devoid of particulars” (http://abstractcritical.com/note/the-black-square/, July 24, 2014).
Even though these two paintings were seen as examples of different movements they both have similarities and differences. Both paintings are the first of their kind. Each broke from the traditional style and explored new ways of looking at the world and art. Paintings in previous periods often had references to political or religious movements. Both Cubism and Abstraction were devoid of those sentiments. The world had not seen paintings done in these styles. The Picasso, although different from traditional art of his time, was still a painting done depicting five women. Malevich’s “Black Square” differs from the Picasso in that it has no natural context. The painting “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” has an appearance of depth and three dimensions. The “Black Square” differs in that it is a two-dimensional painting.
The Geometric Abstract movement changed the future of art in Modern History. Previously Artists’ paintings were set to visualizing nature in some way. With the advent of Abstraction, Artists’ of today are free to express themselves however they feel they should.

References * Cubism- In Metropolitan Museum of Art retrieved, February 26, 2015 from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htm(n.d.) * Geometric Abstraction – In Wise Geek clear answers for common questions Retrieved, March 6, 2015 from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-geometric-abstraction.htm(n.d.) * Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved, March 6, 2015 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Demoiselles_d’Avignon (n.d.) * The Black Square (1913), In abstract critical for abstract art, Retrieved March 6, 2015 from http://abstractcritical.com/note/the-black-square/, July 24, 2014