La Lecture 1953

Fernand Léger made this painting, entitled La Lecture, in France during the first half of the twentieth century. Léger’s focus on the mechanical, the urban, and the industrial led him to develop a style rooted in Cubism but with a populist agenda. During the interwar period, many artists were concerned with the social role of art, and the rise of socialist and communist political movements influenced their artistic production. After serving in World War I, Léger wanted to make art more accessible to working-class people. He believed the working classes did not have the time to understand abstract paintings that required expert knowledge and specialized aesthetic training. La Lecture embodies this ethos through its simplified forms and clear subject matter. The painting challenges elitist assumptions about what constitutes high art, promoting the idea of art that engages with everyday life. Historical research into the writings of Léger and his contemporaries can shed more light on the social and political dimensions of his artistic practice.