Verdun, The Trench Diggers 1916

Fernand Léger made this painting, called Verdun, The Trench Diggers, using pencil and watercolour. At first glance, it seems like Léger has used a limited palette, but look closer, and you’ll see how the colours interact. It's a complex interplay of primary shades plus brown and green—like the world has been filtered down to a basic colour wheel. I imagine Léger, faced with the horrors of war, trying to find some form of order, or maybe even beauty, amidst the chaos. Perhaps painting became a way for him to process and make sense of his experiences. See how these marks repeat across the picture plane, in the same way that many painters like to leave a trace. You know, every time an artist puts paint on a surface, they're in dialogue with everyone who has come before. The way that Léger balances abstraction with representation reminds me of other artists who grapple with similar issues of form and content. It's like we're all part of a big, ongoing conversation.