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Mechanical Forms

A work made of graphite and white gouache on cream wove paper, laid down on tan wove card.

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  • A work made of graphite and white gouache on cream wove paper, laid down on tan wove card.

Date:

1923

Artist:

Fernand Léger
French, 1881–1955

About this artwork

Mechanical Forms shows a woman from the shoulders up, in near profile and facing right, with one hand covering the lower part of her face. The background is a grid of dark bands, circles, and curved elements.

The drawing’s title refers to the logic of industrial order that Fernand Léger claimed for his work even when it did not directly depict machines. The highly finished Mechanical Forms is only an intermediate stage in the artist’s evolving conception of this figure, which resulted in three paintings over a span of six years.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Fernand Léger

Title

Mechanical Forms

Place

France (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1923

Medium

Graphite and white gouache on cream wove paper, laid down on tan wove card

Inscriptions

Signed and dated, lower right, in graphite: "F. L. 23"

Dimensions

42.3 × 31.9 cm (16 11/16 × 12 9/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Richard and Mary L. Gray

Reference Number

2022.83

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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