Woman Reading - Georges Braque
Archival giclée
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Description
A seminal work of Analytical Cubism from 1911, featuring a deconstructed figure rendered in a monochromatic palette of ochres and greys.
Georges Braque painted Woman Reading in 1911, a period defined by the rigorous development of Analytical Cubism. During these years, Braque and Pablo Picasso worked in close proximity, systematically deconstructing the traditional representation of space and form. This work exemplifies the movement's rejection of single-point perspective in favour of a fragmented, multi-faceted view of the subject.
The composition is organised into a grid of overlapping planes and geometric shapes. The figure of the woman is not presented as a singular, coherent entity, but rather as a series of signs and suggestions integrated into the surrounding environment. The palette is restricted to a range of ochres, greys, and browns, which allows the viewer to focus on the structural arrangement of the forms rather than being distracted by colour. This monochromatic approach was a common strategy for early Cubists, as it prevented the illusion of depth that colour often creates, keeping the image firmly anchored to the two-dimensional surface of the canvas.
Lines in this work serve to define the edges of planes rather than the contours of a body. Some lines are sharp and straight, while others curve to suggest the presence of a chair or the posture of the reader. The subject matter, a woman reading, is a traditional motif in Western art, yet here it is transformed into a complex exercise in visual analysis. The viewer must actively participate in reassembling the visual information provided by the artist. By breaking the figure into constituent parts, Braque invites an examination of how we perceive objects in space. This print captures the intellectual rigour of the period, offering a clear view of the technical precision that defined Braque's contribution to modern art.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Woman Reading - Georges Braque
Artist Biography
Georges Braque
He grew up in Argenteuil and Le Havre, the son and grandson of house painters. He apprenticed as a decorative painter, learning to imitate wood grain and marble, techniques he later used in his Cubist papiers colles. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and exhibited with the Fauves in 1906, painting bright, loose landscapes influenced by Matisse.
Everything changed when he saw Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1907. He went to L'Estaque that summer and painted landscapes that broke the scenery into geometric facets, which is what a critic called 'cubes.' The name stuck. Between 1908 and 1914 he and Picasso worked so closely that their paintings from this period are sometimes difficult to tell apart. They showed each other everything. They finished each other's ideas.
The war separated them. Braque was severely wounded at Carency in 1915: a head injury that left him temporarily blind and required trepanning. He did not paint for over a year. When he returned to work, the collaboration with Picasso was over. They remained on good terms but never worked together again.
His post-war paintings are quieter, more resolved, less competitive. The Studio series, large paintings of the interior of his Normandy studio with birds flying through the space, occupied him through the 1950s. He died in 1963, at eighty-one. Picasso outlived him by ten years.
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