Reading 1948

Curator: Immediately, I sense a certain introspective mood about this figure, almost hermetic. Editor: Indeed, and the flattening effect that’s created using these thick, black outlines emphasizes the image as a symbolic portrayal of focused thought. We're looking at "Reading", an oil on canvas created in 1948 by Fernand Léger. It currently resides at the Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot, France. Curator: Léger's interest in common objects takes an interesting turn with this very personal act. Notice the poster-like, almost Pop Art aesthetic— it transforms private introspection into a visual emblem. The use of stylized figures reduces the individuality of the reader. It makes me consider whether Leger is showing the concept of reading. The visual sign of concentrated study transcends the reader as an individual. Editor: I think it shows Léger grappling with the evolving social landscape of postwar France. We have to remember Leger was deeply involved with the French Communist Party after 1945, and sought ways for art to appeal to mass audiences. Reading, with its simplified forms and clear, graphic style, does this, suggesting the power and accessibility of knowledge for all, it also conveys the values of mass appeal and a departure from art’s elite image of pre-war France. Curator: It's interesting you frame it that way. I would interpret those features in a more personal sense. Look at the pale background colors with stark black outlines and color block images layered on top of each other. I can see it reflecting that post-war disillusionment of the self in a global sense, and I think you can see how it relates to Cubism and the modernist movement that proceeded World War II, particularly the interest in form and geometric structure over realism. There is a clear rejection of academic standards. The image as symbol comes before its quality of realistic representation. The picture within the picture really speaks to this focus, almost creating its own plane of existence. Editor: That push and pull, though, is exactly where the work generates meaning, isn’t it? Between personal reflection and a wider social context. I hadn't quite looked at the symbolism of the image on the wall, as if to comment about how knowledge changes depending on how its depicted and disseminated through representation, a very self-aware decision in this work! Curator: It seems we both gleaned something new. Editor: Exactly! It just proves how the most simple portrayals are, on a deeper level, rich sites for ongoing exploration and reflection.