Les Plongeurs en rouge et bleu 1943

Fernand Léger made this painting, titled "Les Plongeurs en rouge et bleu," using oil on canvas. Léger created a style of painting that celebrated the modern industrial age. We see this here in his use of simplified forms and bold colors. This aesthetic, characteristic of post-World War I France, embraced the machine age and sought to find beauty in mass production and urban life. Léger, like many artists of his time, believed in the power of art to shape society. He thought that art should be accessible and relevant to ordinary people, reflecting their everyday experiences. Looking closer, we can see his choice of colors and shapes evokes a sense of dynamism and energy, perhaps reflecting the vitality of modern life. The meaning of this work is reliant on social and institutional context. Researching Léger's essays and the political and cultural history of the interwar period helps us understand it.