1923-1927

Composition

French, 1881 - 1955

Composition is one of three versions of a highly unusual, enigmatic motif in Fernand Léger’s work of the 1920s. The painting shows a woman from the shoulders up, in profile facing right, with one hand covering the lower part of the face. But the figure is not easily distinguishable—intentionally so, due to an ambiguity that derives from the repetition of linear and circular designs in both the figure and the background, though the concentration of rose color in the center helps to isolate the woman to a certain degree. The title similarly gives no clue as to subject matter, emphasizing instead the internal arrangement of artistic elements. An alternate version of the same composition has the title Mechanical Elements, referring to the logic of industry and associated concepts of abstraction—constructs that are relevant to Léger’s work even when machines are not directly depicted.