July 14- 1914 by Fernand Léger

Inspired by the patriotic and urban effervescence of the capital, the creator Fernand Léger delivers a dynamic cubist composition entitled “July 14- 1914” which innovatively uses national colors. By fragmenting urban space into multiple facets, the painter captures the vibrant energy of the modern city undergoing reconstruction. This powerful painting stands out for its rich texture and rhythmic dynamism, asserting the artist’s aesthetic and civic commitment within the society of his time.

The composition is dominated by tall vertical elements resembling factory chimneys or masts, painted in the bright colors of the French flag with blue, white, and red bands. These slender structures rise proudly in the middle of a very dense entanglement of grey and whitish cubic and geometric shapes evoking roofs and industrial architectures. Touches of green here and there enrich the overall chromatic palette. The treatment of the pictorial material is highly textured, revealing broad and beautiful impasto strokes well visible to the naked eye. The artist’s vigorous signature is clearly affixed at the bottom left of the canvas.

The artist demonstrates a remarkable pictorial technique in the application of paint and the structuring of volumes through color. His mastery of impasto and his great ability to organize urban chaos into a rhythmic visual score reveal a first-rate and impressive craftsmanship.