The artwork “Three Women” was created by the esteemed artist Fernand Léger in 1921, as an exemplar of the Cubism art movement. It is an oil on canvas that measures six feet and a quarter inch in height by eight feet and three inches in width. This compelling portrait is part of the collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) located in New York City, New York, USA.
In this artwork, Léger depicts three women rendered in a style that deconstructs and reassembles their forms with a focus on bold, graphic qualities rather than naturalistic representation. The figures are largely flat and monochromatic, heavily outlined in black to enhance their geometric segmentation. A harmony of predominantly primary colors accompanies a range of patterns and shapes that fill the composition, creating a tapestry of visual stimuli indicative of the synthetic phase of Cubism where color rejoins form. The background is pieced together through a mixture of curves, straight lines, and checkerboards, while the distinct table and pottery introduce elements of domesticity. Léger’s “Three Women” is an embodiment of the revolutionary artistic shift that marked the early 20th century, challenging viewers to reconcile familiar subjects with avant-garde abstraction.
