Swimmers on the Ladder 1929

Willi Baumeister made "Swimmers on the Ladder" using oil paint, probably sometime in the middle of the 20th century. The colors are so contained within their outlines, like the shapes are stained glass held together by the dark lines. The surface is smooth, no texture. It’s so controlled, yet it also feels open to interpretation. I love how he renders the body with such hard-edged shapes. Look at the person on the bottom left: that swooping yellow triangle for the torso. It’s just so bold and unexpected. It makes me think of Fernand Léger, another artist who found ways to make the human body appear both mechanical and sensual. Ultimately, this piece feels like a playful puzzle, inviting us to rearrange our perceptions and find new connections between form and meaning.