Composition with Fruit c. 1950 - 1952

This 'Composition with Fruit' was made by Fernand Léger at some point in his career; I don’t know when, but look at it! The forms are built up, layer by layer, almost like making a collage—one shape bumping into the next, jutting out from the darkness. I’m thinking about what it must’ve been like for Léger to be in the studio, wrestling with the materials, pushing and pulling, building this thing up. These tactile qualities—the surface, the texture—they're not just there to look pretty. They are integral to the artwork. The composition is a collection of geometric forms, each with its own distinct character. The sharp edges and flat planes create a sense of dynamism, as if the forms are in motion. Artists are always in dialogue with one another, riffing off of each other's ideas. Léger took Cubism and made it his own, and his forms influenced so many artists since. We learn from each other, building on what came before, pushing the boundaries of what art can be.