Flint 1933

Fernand Léger made this work, Flint, in 1953. It's a drawing, but it’s more than just a representational study. Look at how the hatching, the cross-hatched lines, create a play of light and shadow that almost feels sculpted. Léger’s mark-making feels both precise and intuitive. There's a real sensitivity to the way the light catches on the flint’s surface, especially around the upper rounded area. You can almost feel the weight and density of the stone. The dark, dense hatching gives it a solidity, while the lighter areas suggest a kind of inner glow, a potential energy. It's like Léger is trying to capture the essence of the material, its history and the processes that formed it. Thinking about the exchange of ideas across time, I'm reminded of Giorgio Morandi’s still-life paintings. Both artists found a way to see the extraordinary in the ordinary, transforming humble objects into objects of profound contemplation.