Fernand Leger (French, 1881-1955) Tete De Femme Ave

Fernand Leger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of cubism (known as ‘tubism’) which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style. His boldly simplified treatment of modern subject matter has caused him to be regarded as a forerunner of pop art. Leger embraced the cubist notion of fracturing objects into geometric shapes but retained an interest in depicting the illusion of three-dimensionality. Leger’s unique brand of cubism was also distinguished by his focus on cylindrical form and his use of robot-like human figures that expressed harmony between humans and machines. Influenced by the chaos of urban spaces and his interest in brilliant, primary color, Leger sought to express noise, dynamism, and speed of new technology and machinery often creating a sense of movement in his paintings that captured the optimism of the pre World War I period.