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Carafe and Candlestick

Paris, autumn 1909
Not on view
From a distance, this still life, the first Cubist oil painting to enter Leonard Lauder’s collection, appears to be an unfinished gouache because of the dry and translucent quality of the colored strokes. The genre of still life allows an artist to demonstrate dexterity in rendering finishes and textures. Picasso reveled in moments of ambiguity that lead the viewer to wonder where the light source is located, how many pears are depicted, and why the carafe and glass are shown from above while the candlestick is seen from slightly below.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Carafe and Candlestick
  • Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)
  • Date: Paris, autumn 1909
  • Geography: Country of Origin France
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 21 1/2 × 28 3/4 in. (54.6 × 73 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection, Gift of Leonard A. Lauder, 2025
  • Object Number: 2025.616.27
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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