Sacred Heart of Audincourt 1951

Fernand Léger made this stained glass, ‘Sacred Heart of Audincourt,’ with a bold, graphic language. It is all about the making, about breaking down form into simple shapes. The first thing that grabs me are the colors: bright reds, blues, and yellows, sealed by thick black lines. It’s like a stained-glass comic book! Léger isn’t trying to trick you into seeing depth or realism. Instead, it's all about flat shapes, colors bouncing off each other, and lines that confidently declare “this is what it is.” Look at that central heart shape, radiating energy with jagged yellow shards. It's so direct and immediate, but the color is also incredibly warm. It reminds me of how Matisse used simplified forms to express the pure sensation of being alive. Léger shows how to take religious iconography and make it new, make it vibrate with a modern kind of spiritual energy. It’s less about the story and more about the experience of seeing. And that, my friends, is a holy thing.