Maud Dale 1935

Fernand Léger made this portrait of Maud Dale with oil on canvas; it looks like he built up the forms one step at a time. The color palette is so reduced, almost like a poster. Léger seems to move from simple shapes to complex ones. The paint handling is pretty smooth, no impasto here. It’s like he’s saying, "I’m painting a person, but I’m also painting a bunch of shapes." Look at the dark blue sash: its folds have a certain 3D modeling, but they don't really follow the logic of fabric. That single, simple area sums up the game he's playing. It brings to mind, say, Picasso, but with a smoother finish. Léger seems to be after something of a new realism, and I like that he doesn’t give us any easy answers.