The Merchant of Four Seasons 

Fernand Léger's "The Merchant of Four Seasons," now at the Musée National Fernand Léger, presents a figure rendered through simplified forms and bold contrasts. The composition emphasizes a dynamic interplay of straight lines and geometric shapes against a textured background. Léger's focus is on the structural elements. He uses bold colors and simplified forms to flatten the picture plane, challenging traditional perspective. The merchant and their goods are constructed using cylindrical shapes and sharply defined lines. This flattening can be understood through the lens of structuralism, as Léger deconstructs the visual world into basic components, reorganizing them to reveal an underlying order. The overall effect is one of calculated artificiality, underscoring Léger’s engagement with the machine age. The lack of depth and the emphasis on geometric forms reflect a modern sensibility, where the natural is reduced to its most basic, reproducible elements. This approach highlights art as a construct, questioning the viewer's perception of reality.