The two women in blue vase 1935

Fernand Léger made this oil painting, "The two women in blue vase", and the shapes make me think he was playing a visual game! I can imagine Léger starting with a basic structure, laying down blocks of earthy browns and greens, then letting the composition emerge, bit by bit, as if he were building it. The two women are rendered in simplified forms. I am fascinated by that odd juxtaposition of figures and objects! You know, Léger probably looked at cubism, and was interested in the way that things could be broken up, yet still have this solid, monumental quality. Here the painting feels like it has a lot of integrity because of the formal constraints of the style. It's like he's saying, "Hey, let's rethink how we see," and that spirit of exploration is what keeps painting alive!