The artwork titled “Still Life” is a notable oil on canvas by the renowned artist Fernand Léger, made in 1918. Measuring 64.8 by 81.3 centimeters, this piece is a vivid exemplar of the Cubist movement, to which Léger contributed prominently. Executed in a genre that observes the arrangement of objects, the artwork harmoniously combines geometric abstraction with still life elements, perfectly encapsulating the essence of Cubism. Currently, this artwork resides within a private collection.
In “Still Life,” Léger masterfully dissects and reassembles the composition to highlight the interaction of shapes, patterns, and colors. The vibrant color palette, which includes reds, blues, oranges, and blacks, is partitioned into cubic segments that both clash and complement each other, creating a dynamic visual rhythm. The depiction breaks away from traditional still life by abstracting everyday objects into geometric forms, thereby altering their recognizability but accentuating their form and volume. The fragmented representation and the fusion of foreground with background hint at multiple perspectives, a quintessential aspect of Cubist philosophy. This artwork emphasizes the mechanical and impersonal, reflecting the modern industrial era, while at the same time achieving a balance between the abstract and the representational elements, characteristic of Léger’s unique approach within the Cubist idiom.
