The Creation of the prehistoric World state 1923

Fernand Léger made this mysterious critter, The Creation of the Prehistoric World State, using gouache and ink. It's all about how flat shapes and colors play together, like pieces in a puzzle. Check out the texture; Léger's laid down the gouache in thin, even layers, letting the paper's surface peek through. The lines are crisp and controlled, giving the form a graphic punch. It's kind of cartoonish, but there is an ominous feel, too. I find myself thinking about that single, all-seeing eye and how it watches over everything. The color palette is simple: a range of rusty reds and browns, with some white highlights and graphic black outlines. This simplicity adds to the piece's impact and timelessness. There is something archaic and very modern about it. Léger's work shares that mix of primitive and high-tech that you also see in Picasso. It feels like the beginning of something.