La Grande Mouche 1937

Louis Marcoussis made "La Grande Mouche" with oil paint, using sharp, clean strokes to build up a world of geometric forms. The colors are both vibrant and strangely muted, like a memory of a dream. I love the way the painting feels like a construction site, or maybe a stage set. The textures are really interesting too, with some areas built up with thick paint, and others left thin and translucent. Check out that little grid of black lines towards the back. It's so simple, but it adds this whole other layer of depth and complexity to the piece. It’s almost architectural, like scaffolding in an unfinished building. Marcoussis was part of the Cubist movement, and you can see that influence in the way he breaks down objects into geometric shapes. But there's also something really personal and expressive about his work. It reminds me a bit of Juan Gris, but with a more playful and less rigid approach to form. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is always evolving and changing.