Glass and Bottle of Suze

Pablo Picasso, 1912

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About This Work

Created in 1912, 'Glass and Bottle of Suze' (*La bouteille de Suze*) is an exemplary masterpiece of Pablo Picasso's revolutionary Synthetic Cubism period. Rendered using pasted papers, gouache, and charcoal, the composition depicts a still life anchored by a bottle of Suze liqueur and a glass resting on a blue wooden table, alongside a curving ashtray and a pack of tobacco. Picasso ingeniously incorporates real-world ephemera, including actual newspaper clippings from the French daily *Le Journal*, wallpaper fragments, and construction paper. This collage technique (*papier collé*) dissolves traditional boundaries between illusionistic representation and physical reality. The fragmented planes, overlapping textures, and sparse typography construct an evocative café scene while subverting conventional perspective. By embedding printed text and everyday consumer goods into the pictorial field, Picasso transforms ordinary commercial artifacts into profound aesthetic elements, challenging viewers to rethink the very nature of artistic representation and modern urban experience.

During 1912, Pablo Picasso and his close artistic collaborator Georges Braque pioneered Synthetic Cubism, marking a profound shift from the rigorous monochrome fragmentation of Analytic Cubism toward vibrant, textured constructions. In this pivotal year, Picasso invented *papier collé* (pasted paper), introducing commercial products, newspaper clippings, and everyday ephemera directly into fine art. The inclusion of *Le Journal* articles in 'Glass and Bottle of Suze' reflects contemporary geopolitical anxieties surrounding the First Balkan War and the changing social landscape of pre-World War I Paris. Cafés and bistros served as vital urban hubs where intellectuals, artists, and citizens gathered to discuss current events, read newspapers, and consume popular apéritifs like Suze. By incorporating real printed matter, Picasso bridged the gap between elite high art and vernacular popular culture. This methodological breakthrough permanently altered the trajectory of 20th-century avant-garde art, laying foundational groundwork for Dada, constructivism, and conceptual art movements. The documented holding collection is Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, United States; its direct institutional object record (https://www.kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu/collection/search-results/wu-3773-pablo-picasso-spanish-18811973-la-bouteille-de-suze-bottle-of-suze-1912) is retained as the factual source for the catalog entry and its provenance trail.

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