Clowns et chevaux 1954

Fernand Léger made "Clowns et chevaux" with paint, seemingly without worrying too much about blending. I love how Léger uses flat, bold colors and thick black outlines to define shapes and figures. It’s like he's building a world out of simple, sturdy blocks. Look at the clown's face, the way the yellow mustache pops against the white. It’s so graphic, so direct. The black outlines aren't just boundaries; they're like the bold lines in a comic book, giving everything a sense of energy and movement. And then there's the blue background, filled with these almost polka-dot circles. It creates a sense of depth and flatness all at once. Léger's work reminds me a bit of Stuart Davis, both in their love for urban life and use of bold colours. But Léger takes it a step further, reducing everything to these essential forms. He reminds us that art doesn’t need to be complicated to be powerful. It's all about seeing things in a new light, finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.