Le Déjeuner 1921

Fernand Léger made Le Déjeuner using oil on canvas, and it’s a dance of geometric shapes and muted tones. It’s really about how Léger sees the world as a collection of simple, industrial forms. He builds the image slowly, and the painting process is as much about layering as it is about seeing. Looking closer, notice the surface has a smooth, almost clinical feel; Léger’s brushstrokes are invisible. It’s as though the forms are floating in space. That black, comma-like shape feels especially bold, acting as a counterpoint to the softer, rounded edges of the table and bowl. It’s a simple yet effective way to create tension and depth. It reminds me of Stuart Davis, another artist who loved jazz and saw the world as a syncopated rhythm of shapes and colors. Léger, like Davis, invites us to see beyond the surface and to find beauty in the everyday, industrial landscape.