Verdun, The Trench Diggers 1916

Fernand Léger made this watercolor and ink work, called "Verdun, The Trench Diggers" at some point. The funny thing about Léger is that he took the everyday, like construction workers, and turned them into these abstract, almost robotic figures. Here, it's all about these quick, colorful marks. Look at the way he's built up the image with these staccato strokes of blues, reds, and greens, it's like he's trying to capture the raw energy and the mechanical rhythm of labor. See that cylinder shape near the middle, maybe it's a tin can? It’s such a simple, blocky shape, but the way it overlaps with those thin black lines gives the whole painting depth. It's almost like he's building a machine, but out of paint. It’s like Léger is chatting with the futurists, but in his own cool way. He’s pulling us into his world, one made of colour and movement.