Taureau I 1961

Le Corbusier made "Taureau I" with paint and collage, in a palette that's like earth and sky. There’s a real sense of process in the way the lines wiggle and loop, like the bull itself is just emerging from the subconscious. The texture is key. The collage elements—bits of newspaper, probably—add this layer of time and history, grounding the bull in a specific moment. The paint is thin in places, almost translucent, and then thick and opaque in others, creating this push and pull, like the beast is coming in and out of focus. I find myself drawn to the head. A squiggle of line becomes an eye, a block of color suggests a nose. It's pure suggestion, yet it evokes so much. Le Corbusier, primarily known for architecture, did these kinds of works throughout his career. Picasso was a reference for him. Like Picasso, Le Corbusier understood that art wasn't about fixed meanings but about opening up possibilities.