The Philodendron

After World War II, Georges Braque explored increasingly esoteric and complex ways of visualizing objects in space. The Philodendron was inspired by Braque’s series of dark, enigmatic studio pictures, which were crowded with plants, canvases in process, and items from the home. This work includes a garden chair and metal table, on which stand a carafe and large apple. The objects appear flat, as if cut out and applied to the surface. The exposed, bare canvas creates the effect of light in the room, echoed as highlights in the background. By 1952, this chair had become an established motif in Braque’s work. Taken from his country home in Varengeville on the Normandy coast, which had gardens and a terrace, it is a symbol that reflects his love of place.