--- title: "Georges Braque – Citrons (1939)" description: "Citrons (1939) by Georges Braque, co-founder of Cubism with Picasso: dense and poetic still life, rare and sought after in a fast-growing market." url: https://collectoapp.com/en/blog/georges-braque-citrons-value/ lang: en-US --- [Magazine](https://collectoapp.com/magazine/) [Art](https://collectoapp.com/en/blog/category/art/) [Artworks on Collecto](https://collectoapp.com/en/blog/category/art/artworks-collecto/) Georges Braque – Citrons (1939) # Georges Braque – Citrons (1939) Citrons (1939) by Georges Braque, co-founder of Cubism with Picasso: dense and poetic still life, rare and sought after in a fast-growing market. by Repetto Gallery 13 May 2025 3 minutes read There’s a kind of beauty that doesn’t shout. It doesn’t seek to impress with theatrics but imposes itself slowly, with the depth of its presence. This is the kind of beauty that lives in the works of **Georges Braque**, and _Citrons_ (1939) is one of its finest examples. In this small yet extraordinary oil on canvas, the French artist — Cubism’s co-founder and a key innovator of 20th-century art — distills his pictorial research into a **poetic and powerfully tactile composition**. ## Braque’s mature language By the late 1930s, Braque had moved away from Cubism’s early analytic deconstructions. His painting became more meditative, more intimate. **Still life became his main field of exploration**, a space for reflecting on form, light, and time. In _Citrons_, two lemons rest on a dark, nearly theatrical background, accompanied by sparse leaves and branches. The composition is essential, yet every element is precisely calibrated. Braque’s **thick, sculptural brushstrokes** give body and density to the objects. The **vibrant yellow** of the lemons contrasts powerfully with the earthy backdrop, creating a striking sense of three-dimensionality. Braque invites us to **see the everyday as eternal**, the simple as absolute. ## Silent symbolism The choice of lemons is anything but random. Braque often used **ordinary objects**, deliberately stripped of mythic aura, to create **timeless icons.** His painting doesn’t aim to narrate but to evoke. _Citrons_ does not describe a story — it **builds a presence.** This transformation of the ordinary into the absolute is precisely what makes the work resonate with such **timeless power.** ## Prestigious provenance _Citrons_ boasts **exceptional provenance:** - **Paul Rosenberg & Co.**, one of the most influential galleries of the 20th century, closely linked to Cubist and Modernist masters like Picasso and Braque. - An **important Italian private collection**, confirming the enduring relevance of the work. The painting is also **listed in the catalogue raisonné** by Nicole S. Mangin (1961), providing essential authentication and documentation within Braque’s body of work. ## A rare piece in a rising market Braque’s market has grown by **+56% over the past three years**, with particular interest in his mature-period still lifes. Comparable works have achieved impressive results: - _Les Citrons (1955)_, sold by **Christie’s** in 2021 for **€279,492.** _Les Citrons (1952)_, sold by **Grisebach** in 2022 for **€290,000.** These figures confirm a **strong, sustained interest** in Braque’s still lifes, especially those that balance **formal refinement with emotional weight.** ## Why collect _Citrons_ today Acquiring _Citrons_ is not just about owning a painting — it means engaging with a crucial moment in 20th-century European painting and one of its greatest masters. It is a work of **formal precision, conceptual depth, and strong market appeal**. With **Collecto**, you can access this masterpiece through a model of **shared and sustainable collecting**, allowing you to participate in the preservation and appreciation of a historically documented, high-quality artwork with long-term value. [Discover how Collecto works and **start collecting in an innovative way.**](https://collectoapp.com/en/how-collecto-works) ## Related Articles ##### [Art](https://collectoapp.com/en/blog/category/art/) ###### Collecto Editorial Team ###### 12 October 2026 ###### [Il Warhol di Robert A.M. Stern venduto per 6,34 milioni](https://collectoapp.com/en/blog/il-warhol-di-robert-a-m-stern-venduto-per-634-milioni/) At Sotheby’s New York, architect Robert A.M. 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