One of the characteristics of cubism is the shallow ambiguous space created by the diffusion of background and object planes. A single subject is depicted from various viewpoints and the surfaces intersect at random angles, on the face of it. The pioneers and main innovators of the cubist movement were Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. The two painters began working closely together in late 1908 until the beginning of World War I. The movement spread quickly throughout Paris and all over Europe. For the development of cubism, Picasso found inspiration mainly from African, with its overwhelming geometric simplicity of form.

Figures echoes the cubist perception of visual reality and bears reference to Picasso’s famous painting The Young Ladies of Avignon which portrays five nude female prostitutes. The figures are recognized for their African mask-like faces and the painting is considered to be an essential step in the early development of cubism and modern art in general.