Drawing for "The Staircase"
Like the other Contrasts of Forms gouaches displayed here, this work is related to a finished painting, in this case The Staircase (Second State) (1914; Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid). Stairs were a favorite motif of Léger, in part because of the implied sense of movement in the patterned repetition of steps. The black-and-white ovals at center represent the heads of the humanoid figures, walking up and down, their limbs churning like gears. Léger’s interest in depicting motion made him close in spirit to the Italian Futurists.
Artwork Details
- Title: Drawing for "The Staircase"
- Artist: Fernand Léger (French, Argentan 1881–1955 Gif-sur-Yvette)
- Date: 1913
- Medium: Gouache and oil on tan wove paper
- Dimensions: 19 3/4 × 25 5/8 in. (50.2 × 65.1 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection, Gift of Leonard A. Lauder, 2016
- Object Number: 2016.237.18
- Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.