The main characteristic of Cubism is:

• A. Representational realism.
• B. Use of decorative patterns.
• C. Breaking down the picture plane.
• D. Depicting motion through blur.

Answer: (C)

Cubism is defined by breaking down the picture plane into geometric facets that reveal multiple viewpoints at once. Artists like Picasso and Braque shattered objects into interlocking planes and reassembled them on a flat surface, so the viewer sees the subject from several angles in a single image. This approach moves away from a single, lifelike perspective and creates a sense of depth through fractured, overlapping facets on the canvas.

Representational realism aims for accurate, life-like depiction, which is the opposite of what Cubism emphasizes. Decorative patterns can appear in some works but aren’t what Cubism is fundamentally about. Motion through blur evokes other eras and styles, not the core Cubist aim of reconstructing form from multiple perspectives on a flat plane.