Composition Au Fond Jaune 1934

This abstract painting by Fernand Léger has a yellow background with several distinct shapes in it. It looks like he was searching for an arrangement, moving things around, trying to get it just right. I imagine Léger liked machines, but maybe he knew they weren't enough. Look how he makes hard-edged forms but with a painterly touch. The shapes are outlined with black, and the colors are bold: blues, whites, browns, and blacks. The color is opaque, flat, and evenly applied with no impasto or brushstrokes, which must have taken some labor. There's a sense of play here. It's not just about pure form. You can see connections to other artists like Picasso and Braque who were also working in Paris at the time, all pushing and pulling at each other's ideas, trying to figure out what painting could be. Painting is like a conversation—with yourself, with the medium, with other artists—a constant exchange of ideas.