Les danseuses aux clés, étude 1928

Fernand Léger made "Les danseuses aux clés, étude" in oil paint and it’s like he’s juggling bodies and buildings. The color palette is pretty restrained, mostly browns and reds, but these geometric shapes add some real punch. Looking at it, you can tell Léger was really into the material qualities of paint. It's not super thick, but definitely present. It feels very smooth. Check out that big red triangle. Léger has softened the edges, but the blocky composition makes it look crisp. It’s the way that the architectural structure pushes up against those nude bodies. The curves and the hard lines make a playful tension. Léger’s work, with its machine-like forms and human figures, always makes me think of Picabia, who had a similar take on things. It all points to the ongoing conversation between artists, and how they push and pull at each other’s ideas.