Coquillage rouge 1928

Fernand Léger made this painting, Coquillage rouge, with oil on canvas sometime in the early 20th century. The way Léger lays down these bold, flat colors feels so grounded in the act of painting itself. It's like he's building up a world, one brushstroke at a time. Look at that big red shape, for instance. It's not trying to trick you into thinking it's a real thing. It’s just *there*, a powerful presence on the canvas. The surface has this beautiful, almost gritty texture that reminds you of the physical reality of the paint. Then you have these fine, almost decorative lines around the outside of the forms – these are so playful and joyful. Léger seems to be having a conversation with the Cubists here, but he takes it somewhere totally new. It reminds me of some of Stuart Davis's work later on; that idea of turning the everyday world into something bold and graphic. This piece feels like an invitation to see the world with fresh eyes, to find beauty in the simplest forms.