Fernand Léger: The Mechanical Paintings, 1918-1923

Published on the occasion of Fernand Léger: The Mechanical Paintings, 1918-1923 at Skarstedt, New York, this catalogue includes full plate images, installation images, an essay by Hal Foster, and a personal note by curator Victor Skarstedt.

While Léger had important phases prior to the war, such as his Contraste de formes, as well as his monumental mural work later in his career, his “mechanical period” is often described as his breakthrough and most iconic contribution to twentieth century art. It crystallized a visual language that influenced not just painting, but also design, architecture, and cinema, setting the foundation for his later explorations of the human figure and the longstanding sense of both fascination and unease with machines that would continue throughout his career. Over a century after their creation, these works resonate with striking urgency: Léger’s fascination with the accelerated pace of technological development mirrors our own present moment, when questions of automation, artificial intelligence, and the role of the human within systems of progress dominate cultural debate. Just as he grappled with the promises and perils of the machine age, we too navigate the allure and anxiety of rapid change.