What is the historical context of this artwork" Les demoiselles" by Picasso??

Question

And also what kind of cubism is this?...Is it analytical or Synthetical?....
Thank you..( Les demoiselles: the five naked prostitudes)

Answer 1

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

It is considered to be the first cubist work of art. It is "the mother of all cubism". Newsweek named it the most influential painting of the last 100 years.

It really isn't either(analytical, synthetic, deconstructive or any other) yet. If anything it is closest to analytical cubism.

Answer 2

Historically, Spain had just lost the Spanish-American war; its influence in world politics waning. So, perhaps it is not surprising that Picasso's choice of a theme for a painting was not of any particularly patriotic theme, but that of the underbelly of city life - the prostitutes. At the time, the painting was deemed immoral - such were the prevailing attitudes over such content.

The work, though released in 1916, was painted in 1907, which is close to the period of analytical cubism (1908-1912). Each of the 5 faces are drawn with differing levels of cubism, the face of the one in back on the right with the sharpest geometric shapes.

Answer 3

I'm not sure about the type of cubism, but I can tell you that in that time period there was huge sense of nationalism, pride for one's nation. This painting was completed durning a time where every house in america had a piano. This caused a huge demand for sheet music. Composers and arrangers in New York had an abundance of work. This zeitgeist is refered to as "Tin-Pan Alley." Evidently all the composers and arrangers worked at the same time on the same street with open windows, sounding like tin-pans. And, of course the assasination of Arch Duke Ferndinand happened within the next few years.