Study for the Portrait "Maud Dale" 1935

Fernand Léger made this pencil study on paper for the portrait "Maud Dale." It's all about simple, continuous lines that suggest form without pinning it down. There's a beautiful openness here, a real sense of the artist working through ideas. The lines are confident, but not precious; they feel like a map of Léger's thought process. Look at the way the arm drapes, or the simplified planes of the chair. Each line is doing so much work, defining edges and hinting at volume. The sketchiness invites you to fill in the gaps, to become a participant in the act of creation. It reminds me of Matisse’s line drawings, that same economy of means and focus on the essential. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art is a conversation, a process of seeing and responding, of questioning and exploring.