La Gare 1918

Fernand Léger made this abstract painting, La Gare, in oil with a palette that feels mechanical yet vibrant. The way Léger applies the paint, it’s so smooth and even, almost like it’s been printed. There's a flatness to the surface that denies depth, yet the cylinders and blocky forms suggest a 3D space, a factory floor perhaps. Notice the letters. They are stenciled or stamped on the canvas. They are thick and opaque, and they give the painting a sense of graphic boldness, like a poster or advertisement. Consider the violet column, a central element, it divides the canvas and anchors the composition, but also creates a visual disruption. This painting reminds me a little of Stuart Davis, in the way that everyday images can be abstracted into something new and exciting. It’s not about what you see, but how you see it.