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Still Life

1913
Not on view
With few exceptions, the objects on the table defy identification. Léger did not aim for a descriptive rendering of things, but rather, scintillating optical vibrancy. In his studies for the Contrasts of Forms series, Léger transformed traditional chiaroscuro. Instead of modeling with intermediary tones, he juxtaposed strokes of black and white (shadow and highlight) and circumscribed them with black contour lines.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Still Life
  • Artist: Fernand Léger (French, Argentan 1881–1955 Gif-sur-Yvette)
  • Date: 1913
  • Medium: Opaque watercolor on paper
  • Dimensions: 18 1/2 × 23 in. (47 × 58.4 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection, Gift of Leonard A. Lauder, 2016
  • Object Number: 2016.237.28
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Six Designs for Abstract Wall Decorations, Fernand Léger French, Graphite and gouache
Six Designs for Abstract Wall Decorations
Fernand Léger
ca. 1940–1955
'Starfish and Swimmers': Design for a Mosaic or Mural, Fernand Léger French, Brush and yellow, red, green and beige wash, and graphite
'Starfish and Swimmers': Design for a Mosaic or Mural
Fernand Léger
ca. 1942
The Bargeman, Fernand Léger French, Oil on canvas
The Bargeman
Fernand Léger
1918
Mechanical Elements, Fernand Léger French, Oil on canvas
Mechanical Elements
Fernand Léger
1920
Rooftops, Fernand Léger French, Ink and opaque watercolor on paper
Rooftops
Fernand Léger
1915

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