Trois femmes à la table rouge 1921

Fernand Léger made this painting of three women at a red table using oil on canvas. The colours are really grounded, almost like industrial shades, but then he throws in these bars of high-key colour that seem to vibrate against the rest. What I love about this piece is how Léger builds up the forms with these simple, mechanical shapes. Look at the cylinders and blocks that make up the figures - they’re solid, almost architectural, but still so playful. And that red table! It’s not just a surface; it’s a dynamic force, pushing and pulling the composition. I find myself wondering what kind of tools he used to get that smooth, almost machine-like finish. There’s a tension here between the hand-made and the mass-produced. It makes me think of Picabia, another artist who was playing with machines and the figure around the same time, but Léger is doing something all his own. It's a reminder that art is always a conversation, with artists riffing off each other, but always finding their unique voice.