Even for scholars, it is sometimes nearly impossible to tell the work of Picasso and Braque apart, and it is possible that Cubism would not have developed at all without the competitive exchange of ideas that occurred during the dueling careers of these two artists. Both explored still lifes, were intrigued by the physical properties of musical instruments, and often painted with similar color palettes. As Braque himself explained, “We were like two mountain climbers roped together” (quoted in Stokstad 1079).