Lamp and flower (the candlestick) 1951

Fernand Léger made this ceramic artwork ‘Lamp and flower (the candlestick)’ in 1951, it’s currently residing in the Musee National Fernand Leger in France. The first thing I notice is the limited color palette, it's like he's set himself a challenge. The yellow background creates a warm, inviting space, while the stark black and white outlines give the forms a bold, almost graphic quality. It reminds me of printmaking, where the process is all about layering and simplifying. Look closely, you can almost feel the texture of the ceramic, the way the glaze pools in certain areas, creating subtle variations in tone. There's a real physicality to the medium, a sense of weight and permanence that contrasts with the ephemeral nature of a flower. The way he divides the composition into squares is interesting – it feels like he's playing with the idea of fragmentation and reconstruction, like trying to capture the essence of these objects rather than creating a realistic representation. Leger's work is like a conversation, constantly evolving and responding to new ideas and influences.