Composition sur le Mots, Poires, Pommes, Pêches 1942

Auguste Herbin made this painting using oil paint, and he called it, 'Composition sur le Mots, Poires, Pommes, Pêches'. The way he’s built up these shapes and forms, it feels like a dance of colours, doesn’t it? Look closely, and you’ll see the careful layering of paint. The colours are laid on so flat, and they meet so cleanly, and yet there's something so dynamic about the composition. See the central motif, how the blue diamond seems to be contained within layers of circles and triangles? It almost gives the impression of a symbolic emblem. I'm reminded of artists like Sonia Delaunay who were also exploring how abstraction can capture the vibrancy of modern life. But what I love most is that Herbin leaves so much open to interpretation, embracing the idea that art is a conversation, not a statement.