The Woman with the fruit dish 1924

Fernand Léger made this painting, ‘The Woman with the fruit dish’, with oil on canvas, and what strikes me first is the feeling of order and geometry. The palette is restrained, earthy tones punctuated by the bright red of the fruit bowl and the cool blue of the pot. I love the way Léger builds up the forms with these smooth, almost mechanical strokes. It feels like he’s constructing an image rather than painting one. Look at the lines in the woman's dress, so clearly defined! The texture is smooth, almost like enamel, concealing any trace of the artist’s hand, and yet, the overall effect is far from cold. There is a warmth and solidity in the colors that draws you in. Do you see the way Léger uses blocks of color to define the background, the checkerboard pattern? It’s like he's inviting us to see the world as a series of interconnected shapes. Léger reminds me of Picasso, both artists constantly reinventing the way we see. It’s not about perfection, but about the ongoing conversation between the artist and the canvas.