Paysage polychrome 1937

Fernand Léger made this painting, Paysage polychrome, with oil on canvas, and it’s like a playful argument between abstraction and representation. He’s not trying to trick us into seeing reality, but he is very into shapes and colour. Look at how the thick, black lines confidently carve out these different zones. The surface is smooth, with colours laid down in clean, confident strokes. Then you have the red triangles on the left, like geometric flames, right beside a sort of grumpy-looking yellow face. Everything feels very upfront, nothing is hidden or blended. Léger gives us everything, all at once, and leaves it up to us to find a balance. The way Léger uses strong lines to define shapes makes me think of other artists like Stuart Davis or even some of Matisse’s cut-outs. But with Léger, there’s always this underlying mechanical, almost industrial vibe. He’s not just playing with form; he’s building a world. And that’s what makes his work so enduring.