Abstraction c. 1932

This drawing by Le Corbusier is made of crayon on paper and the colours are jumping out. Imagine him, sitting in a room—or maybe outside—with a set of vibrant crayons, carefully choosing each hue to bring this still life to life. I am really drawn to the blocky forms and how the artist creates a sense of depth with the layering of shapes. And there’s this red figure up top that is almost like a little secret. I wonder, was he thinking about Matisse when he made this? There is something so playful and confident about the execution. The texture of the crayon gives it this tactile quality that makes you want to reach out and touch it. That simple blue outline around the glass – it’s so subtle, yet it defines the space, and it makes me think about a deconstructed cubist painting. Ultimately, artists are always looking, learning, and borrowing from one another. This drawing captures a fleeting moment, a simple scene transformed into something unexpected, and that's the magic of painting.