the tugboat fernand leger

the tugboat fernand legerWith The Tugboat, Fernand Lger delves into the world of industry and ports, transforming it into an orderly assemblage of powerful volumes. The work is part of the so called mechanical phase of his career, inspired by the aesthetics of Cubism and his fascination with technical modernity. In the centre, a large ochre circle dominates the composition, almost like a propeller or a gear. Around it gravitate black arcs, red rectangles and massive blue

all the glory being rather attributed to the king of animals: the lion

which also inspired Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse

The striking contrast between the warm orange of the boat and the deep blue of the river constitutes the chromatic tour de force of the canvas

Would you like to buy another painting by Johannes Vermeer

express vitality and joy of life through a circular

where worldliness rubs shoulders with the absurd in a stylized maritime setting

marked a break from the traditional realistic representation in art

The painting is part of a series where Matisse explores the relationship between color

the artist offers a deeply moving introspection

paying tribute to both the grandeur of human technology and the effervescence of urban life

The colourful boats

The proportions are deliberately rigid