Study for the Portrait "Maud Dale" 1935

Here we see Fernand Léger's preparatory study in pencil for the portrait "Maud Dale." Look at the chair. It is more than a mere prop. Chairs, thrones, seats of power, and the domestic setting are powerful symbols in art history. Consider, for example, how the act of sitting is charged. Historically, it has been associated with authority. In this sketch, the chair's grid hints at captivity, or perhaps a stage, where the sitter—the actress, Maud Dale—performs herself. This echoes in Velázquez's portraits of the Spanish court, where posture dictates social standing and expectation. There is a theatrical presence that speaks to a deeper, collective memory. The stage upon which we play our roles, both personal and professional, is a space of self-construction and performance. Léger's chair, therefore, becomes a complex symbol for the roles we inhabit and the settings that define us. These settings are shaped by our memories and the social cues we internalize.