Still Life with a Mandolin by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Picasso spent the summer of 1924 in the village of Juan-les-Pins on the Côte d'Azur. This picture is the second in a series of large Cubist still-lifes that he painted during his stay. It is a night scene - in the foreground, a fruit dish, wine bottle, and mandolin rest on a table. These items are lit strongly, as if by an artificial source. In the background, foliage is silhouetted against broad patches of black and blue. The decorative wave-like scrolls on the table’s edge may be a playful allusion to the coastal setting of the scene.