Georges Braque

Georges Braque (1882-1963) created the print “L’Oiseau Bleu et Gris” (The Blue and Grey Bird) in 1962, using lithography on woven paper.

I like the overall simplicity of this image as I think it suggests how simple life can sometimes appear to be from the outside. The blue reminds me of clear blue skies in the summer with birds flying and singing in the warm air. However the white in the bird’s wings has connotations of snow and, mixed with the blue, gives a cold feeling to the image.

The background appears to be in vertical stripes of colour with the bird being made of contrasting colours so that it stands out from the background. The blue and the wavy lines that appear across the bird, create the impression of waves therefore giving a suggestion of it being a sea bird. The pale colour in the wings gives the impression of the wave breaking.