Deux femmes debout (au tronc d'arbre) 1943

Le Corbusier made this painting, "Deux femmes debout (au tronc d'arbre)", sometime in the 1930s or 40s, and it's a great example of how painting can be a playground for ideas. The colors and marks are bold, almost like he's building a structure on the canvas. Looking closely, you can see how the colors are laid down in patches, with outlines defining the shapes of the figures and the tree trunk. There’s this lovely tension between the flat areas of color and the scratchy lines that give it a real sense of energy, as though the painting is alive and breathing. And notice the way the red bleeds into the bottom edge of the canvas, that’s a gorgeous little accident! It reminds me a bit of Léger, with its simplified forms and focus on the beauty of everyday objects. But Corbusier brings his own architectural sensibility to it, creating a space that's both abstract and strangely familiar. Ultimately, art is a conversation, and Corbusier adds his own unique voice to the mix.