Why do Georges Braque’s Analytical Cubist paintings sometimes seem almost abstract?

Georges Braque’s Analytical Cubist paintings appear nearly abstract because they prioritize the structural analysis of form over the realistic depiction of subjects.12

During this phase, Braque and Pablo Picasso systematically broke down objects into complex, overlapping, and often transparent geometric planes. This process resulted in several key stylistic choices that contribute to their abstract appearance:12

• Fragmentation: Subjects were depicted as so thoroughly broken apart that they became difficult to perceive as recognizable objects.1
• Elimination of Perspective: The artists rejected traditional perspective, foreshortening, and chiaroscuro, resulting in a nearly flat, two-dimensional pictorial space.12
• Subdued Palette: To ensure the viewer focused on the structure of form rather than color, the artists utilized a restricted, nearly monochromatic color scheme of browns, grays, greens, and tans.12
• Multiple Viewpoints: By presenting simultaneous, often illogical views of a single object, the paintings moved away from illusionistic representation toward a new, fragmented reality.12

Ultimately, these works aimed to constitute a "pictorial fact" rather than reconstitute an anecdotal one, pushing the boundaries of traditional representation.1