Étude pour ‘Les plongeurs’ 1941

Fernand Léger made this gouache on paper in 1941, its name translates as ‘Study for the Divers’. This is a great example of artmaking as a process - a kind of experimentation with colour, space and form. Léger’s divers float in an undefined space, their bodies rendered in bold, flat colours with thick black outlines. The paint application is opaque, giving the figures a sense of solidity and weightlessness at the same time. Look at the small white dots on some of the figures, which act as highlights or perhaps buttons, disrupting the flatness of the colour planes. These circles, along with the varied palette, create a playful, almost childlike quality. See the black figure slightly below and to the left of centre? It stands out against the warmer tones, anchoring the composition while also creating a sense of depth. Léger’s interest in the figure, combined with simplified forms, reminds me of Matisse, but with a more industrial, less decorative sensibility. Like much great art, this piece embraces ambiguity, inviting us to dive into our own interpretations.