The Woman with the fruit dish 1924

Fernand Léger made this painting, The Woman with the Fruit Dish, using oils on canvas. I love the way that Léger makes human form and still life converge! The woman almost becomes a part of the still life on the table. Her metallic dress almost looks like it is made of the same materials as the fruit bowl, carafe, and fruit! I imagine Léger thinking about how to make a portrait while referencing Cubism. What does it mean to make a painting that captures what the artist sees, and also what they feel or know? He is also thinking about how objects relate to one another, using his painting as a site of inquiry. There is an ongoing conversation between Léger and other artists, and between the painting and the viewer. It’s never quite resolved but remains open to interpretation.