Composition with the three figures 1932

Fernand Léger created this oil painting, Composition with Three Figures, in 1932, and it encapsulates many of the artist’s central concerns at this time. Léger was interested in the social role of art and how it could engage with contemporary life. In France at this time, there was a tension between traditional academic art and the avant-garde. Léger situated himself in opposition to academic tradition and sought to create art that reflected the modern world. The figures in the painting are stylized and geometric, reflecting Léger’s interest in machinery and industrial forms. We can also see the influence of classical art in the idealized forms of the figures. The artist creates meaning through the references to both classical and modern art. To understand Léger’s work better, we might consult the writings of art critics and social historians. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.