“Smoke,” created by Fernand Léger in 1912, is an exemplary Cubist cityscape. The artwork embodies the Cubist movement’s characteristic fragmented and abstracted forms, portraying an urban environment with a dynamic interplay of geometric shapes and bold colors.
In this artwork, Léger employs a complex arrangement of cylindrical forms, faceted surfaces, and interlocking planes. The scene seems to capture a bustling industrial city, with smoke billowing from chimneys and myriad architectural elements converging in a rhythmic and almost mechanical harmony. Shades of grey dominate the palette, accentuated by splashes of red and yellow, lending a sense of vibrancy and movement. The overlapping and intersecting shapes create a sense of depth and surface texture, compelling the viewer to explore the multifaceted and modernistic vision of urban existence that Léger so deftly conveys. The artwork stands as a testament to the innovative spirit of early 20th-century modernism and the transformative potential of the Cubist approach to visual representation.
