The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 6, 2026

A vertically oriented oil and sand painting depicts a fragmented, geometric still life. Bottom center, a white cup and saucer rest on a red-striped surface. Right, dark rectangular forms resembling open boxes sit atop a bright blue area. A black scalloped shape sits left of a central, green and yellow form rising behind a dotted white panel. The surface shows varied, sandy textures. Signed "M. BLANCHARD" at the bottom center.

Still Life

c. 1916

María Blanchard

(Spanish, 1881–1932)
France, Paris
oil, sand, and mixed media collage on canvas
65.8 x 52.4 cm (25 7/8 x 20 5/8 in.)
Partial purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund and partial gift of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Saltzman, by exchange 2026.37
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

This work of art, which combines two- and three-dimensional elements, challenges the long-established notion that an artwork should consist of a single medium.

Description

The Spanish artist María Blanchard worked in Paris as a Cubist between 1916 and 1919. In Still Life, she portrayed multiple, simultaneous viewpoints in an abstract style based on geometry and flat planes. Although other Cubists used collage elements in their work, Blanchard was unique in her use of three-dimensional elements to create an image that fluctuates between the concrete and the illusionary. During her lifetime, Blanchard was celebrated by her fellow Cubists, and she shared studios with Juan Gris and Diego Riviera, the latter of whom described her as producing Cubism’s “finest works, apart from our master, Picasso.”
  • ?-1938
    R.E.A. Wilson, United Kingdom
    February 1938
    Acquired by the grandfather of previous owner from the above through the intermediation of Alfred Willey
    2026
    (Ben Elwes Fine Art, London)
    2026
    Cleveland Museum of Art
  • {{cite web|title=Still Life|url=false|author=María Blanchard|year=c. 1916|access-date=06 October 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2026.37