Deux fruits et des fleurs jaunes 1952

Fernand Léger made this painting of fruit and yellow flowers with oil on canvas sometime in the mid twentieth century. The forms are simplified, almost like shapes cut from paper. He outlines everything in black, giving it a graphic, poster-like feel. It's like he's saying, "Here are the basic components of a still life, let's see what we can do with them." Look at the way the colours are laid down, each one distinct and separate, no blending here! The surface is smooth, almost machine-like, but there's something undeniably human in the way he’s arranged these objects. That orange tabletop is almost too vibrant, making the green fruit pop even more. It feels like he's playing with us, pushing and pulling our attention with these bold colour combinations. Léger’s like a proto-Pop artist in that sense. He reminds me a little of someone like Roy Lichtenstein, but with a softer touch, and definitely more interested in organic forms. Ultimately, art isn't about answers, but about how we keep asking questions.