The artwork, titled “Trapeze,” created by Fernand Léger in 1950, is a representative piece within the Purism art movement. Measuring 42.5 x 32.8 centimeters, this genre painting forms part of the series “The Album ‘Circus’.” It is currently housed at the Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot, France.
“Trapeze” features a dynamic and abstract composition where Léger employs bold lines and contrasting colors to depict trapeze artists. The painting presents simplified human forms rendered in dark silhouettes and lighter hues, engaged in acrobatic motions against a grid-like backdrop. The artist’s use of geometric shapes and the interplay of black, yellow, and purple areas evoke a sense of movement and balance, characteristic of Léger’s dedication to the Purist aesthetic. The artwork captures the energy and rhythm of the circus, a recurring theme in Léger’s oeuvre.