Étude pour ‘Femmes au perroquet’ 1940

Fernand Léger created this study for ‘Femmes au Perroquet’ in 1940, using ink and color wash on paper. This work offers us a glimpse into Léger's exploration of modern life, filtered through the lens of avant-garde aesthetics. Consider the cultural and institutional context of pre-war France. Léger, who was a veteran of World War I, sought to capture the energy of the industrial age, often using simplified forms. Here, he uses bold colors and outlines to depict the human figure alongside a parrot. The parrot is an imported luxury item. The theme of exoticism would have been popular at the time, as the French were interested in colonial culture. Léger’s flattening of form also challenged traditional artistic conventions of the time. Was he critiquing the institutions of art or commenting on the social structures of the day? As historians, it’s through archival material, social histories, and contemporary art criticism that we can begin to understand Léger’s visual language and its place within the broader narrative of 20th-century art.