Le Vase rouge 1938

Fernand Léger made ‘Le Vase rouge’ using oil on canvas. Look at how Léger built this painting with such deliberate flatness and clean lines, the shapes bumping up against each other, somehow creating both depth and a kind of visual puzzle. I am drawn to the way the red vase is constructed from flat black, red and white planes, the colour shifts are so abrupt. The surface of this work is remarkably smooth. It is hard to tell if Léger blended the paint or laboured over the surface. This makes the overall effect both mechanical and personal. The palette is so vibrant, the industrial coolness of the painting is offset by the organic, plant-like forms. You could say the roots of Pop Art can be found in Léger’s interest in everyday objects.