Exit the Ballets Russes 1914

Fernand Léger made this gouache on paper, titled Exit the Ballets Russes. Look at the way he's laid down these cool blues and reds with just a hint of yellow, all outlined in black. It’s almost like he’s building the image up from a series of lines, like a draftsman, which gives it a really interesting, graphic feel. The colors are laid down in a way that lets you see the texture of the paper underneath. See how the paint's not trying to hide anything; it’s right there, upfront. It’s not trying to create an illusion or anything. That big cylinder shape in the middle really gets me, and it has this teardrop shape on top of it that looks like an eye or a head. Then there’s that green shape, cutting through everything. It makes me think of an earlier work, The Mechanic, where there are the same sort of blocky, geometric figures. It all feels like a nod to the machine age. Ultimately, this is a painting that's not afraid to ask questions.