Animated Landscape 1921

Fernand Léger made this drawing, Animated Landscape, with graphite on paper. It’s like he's building a world from scratch, one line at a time. The graphite gives it a soft, almost dreamlike quality, but the shapes themselves are solid and architectural. It's all about process; you can almost see Léger working through his ideas, adjusting and refining as he goes. The texture here is subtle but crucial, the grain of the paper shows through the graphite, adding depth. Take a look at the clouds, how they're built up with layers of shading. You can almost feel the pressure of his hand as he defines the forms. The way the buildings are simplified into geometric shapes, yet still feel grounded and real is also particularly striking. It reminds me of some of the early cubist landscapes, but with Léger's own unique twist. There is a conversation between forms, lines and planes in this piece that brings to mind the work of Picasso. With Léger, like Picasso, you get the sense that art isn’t about capturing reality, but about reimagining it.