Les Pêcheurs 1921

Fernand Léger made this painting, 'Les Pêcheurs' with oils, and it's all about how he builds up an image through simple shapes and colors. He’s not trying to trick us with realism; instead, he lays down these solid blocks of color that feel both flat and monumental. I find myself drawn to the way the light plays across the figures; it's not a soft, diffused glow, but a hard, almost metallic sheen. This adds to the feeling that the figures are part of a machine, maybe even a bit robotic. Look at the tree trunks framing the sides; they’re like columns in some strange, stylized temple. It's a reminder that art isn't about perfection or imitation. It's about the artist’s unique way of seeing and making, and it opens up new ways for us to see, too. Léger’s work reminds me a little of Stuart Davis, another artist who loved to find the abstract rhythms in everyday life, turning the ordinary into something bold and new.