Une Fleur et une roue 1952

Fernand Léger made ‘Une Fleur et une roue’ with paint and probably a brush or two. The colour palette is stripped back, black, white, and orange. Léger simplifies form, but there’s a strange kind of depth in the way he overlaps the black shapes. It’s not about realism, but more like making the essence of a flower and a wheel visible. Look how the paint isn't trying to hide itself. It’s laid down without fuss, and you can almost feel the artist’s hand moving. The lines are crisp, but not cold. I am drawn to how the central area is built up with tiny shapes, which brings to mind Sonia Delaunay’s Rhythm paintings. Léger’s work reminds us that art is a conversation across time, an ongoing exchange of ideas. This piece is a reminder that simplicity can be bold, and that art is as much about what you leave out as what you put in.