Le compotier rouge 1925

Fernand Léger made this painting with blocks of color and ordinary objects, like he's building a machine out of breakfast. I can just imagine Léger in his studio, shifting things around, trying to find the right balance between the sharp edges and soft curves. How the flatness of the forms bumps up against the desire for depth. That red compotier—fruit bowl—is so vibrant, it pulls your eye right in, doesn't it? It feels like he is setting up a stage almost, waiting for the objects to play out their roles. The way he simplifies everything down to its basic shapes reminds me of early Modernism, but there's also something so playful and almost Pop about it. Léger was a part of an ongoing conversation, turning the everyday into something monumental. I love how it all seems so assured. It is like Léger is saying, ‘This is how I see the world – clear, strong, and full of unexpected connections.’