This landscape was among several Picasso produced in southern Spain in 1909 that were critical to the development of the early Cubist style. Depicting the town of Horta de Sant Joan, The Reservoir, Horta de Ebro is composed of simplified geometric shapes. Picasso used interlocking planes to fuse the background’s rugged topography with the terra-cotta and stucco architecture of the village in the foreground. The composition exemplifies the spatial ambiguity characteristic of Cubism: the steep hillside seems to be seen from below, while the curved shape at the bottom—a cistern—provides a downward view into a reflective pool of water.
Gallery label from 2019
The landscapes Picasso produced in Spain in 1909 were critical to the development of the early Cubist style, in which subjects are rendered from multiple perspectives using faceted forms and simplified geometric shapes. In The Reservoir, Horta de Ebro (titled using the artist’s name for the town of Horta de Sant Joan), Picasso used interlocking planes to fuse the land’s rugged topography with the terra-cotta and stucco architecture of the village. The spatial ambiguity characteristic of Cubism is evident: the steep hillside suggests an upward gaze while the curved shape at the bottom—a cistern—reveals a downward view into a reflection on water.
Gallery label from Cezanne to Picasso: Paintings from the David and Peggy Rockefeller Collection, July 17–August 31, 2009.
