Peinture imaginaire 1939 - 1952

Fernand Léger made this strange and wonderful painting using oil on canvas. Look how the colours sit next to each other, bold and clear. It’s like he's building a world from simple shapes and strong colours, letting the process lead the way. The paint is laid on pretty flat, not too thick, which gives the painting a kind of graphic feel. There’s this one shape, like a white cloud or blob, smudged with grey, that keeps catching my eye. It’s soft and organic against all the hard edges, almost like a thought bubble floating through the picture. The way it’s placed, kind of off-center, makes the whole composition feel alive and a little off-kilter. Léger’s work reminds me a bit of Stuart Davis, another artist who loved to play with shape and colour, making the familiar look brand new. It’s all about seeing what happens when you let things be a little loose and trust the process.