Continuous and Discontinuous Space

Albert Bierstadt, 1868

Traditional paintings, such as by Albert Bierstadt (see picture), depict a continuous space.  There is a flow to the picture.  The eye gently goes from the animals in the foreground, to the water in the middle ground, to the misty mountains in the background.  An illusion of continuous space and depth is created using atmospheric perspective.  Bierstadt was brilliant with this and his landscapes are monumental.  Forty years later we have a painting done by Picasso, where space is discontinuous, fragmented and geometric.  The eye does not gently flow through this painting, but tends to dart around, not knowing where to land.  Picasso did this intentionally, to see the world in a different way.  This is Cubism and it is a breakthrough in the way of seeing.  Enjoy!



Pablo Picasso, 1909