Mechanical Forms

Fernand LégerWW-1923-119069

1923·Graphite and white gouache on cream wove paper, laid down on tan wove card·42.3 × 31.9 cm (16 11/16 × 12 9/16 in.)

<p>Mechanical Forms shows a woman from the shoulders up, in near profile and facing right, with one hand covering the lower part of her face. The background is a grid of dark bands, circles, and curved elements.</p> <p>The drawing’s title refers to the logic of industrial order that Fernand Léger claimed for his work even when it did not directly depict machines. The highly finished Mechanical Forms is only an intermediate stage in the artist’s evolving conception of this figure, which resulted in three paintings over a span of six years.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1923
Medium: Graphite and white gouache on cream wove paper, laid down on tan wove card
Dimensions: 42.3 × 31.9 cm (16 11/16 × 12 9/16 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Fernand Léger

Artist

Fernand Léger

Painting

Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of cubism 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.

Paris, France

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