French painter Fernand Léger, born in 1881 in Normandy, began his artistic career in a practical trade-focused family.
Léger, a pioneer of modernism and technology, developed his unique style, "tubism," focusing on cylindrical forms and mechanical motifs in his art.
Léger's architectural training and early painting career influenced his artistic identity, with a breakthrough moment during a 1907 retrospective of Paul Cézanne's works influencing his transition from Impressionism to Cubism.
World War I destroyed Léger's artwork, leading to a mechanical phase influenced by mechanisation and urban life. Works like 'The Card Party' depict war experiences and contemporary life.
Léger's aesthetic theory emphasized incorporating contemporary life into art, comparing creative contrasts to metropolitan advertisements, arguing that painting should reflect the reality of modern life.
Léger's artistic philosophy evolved, incorporating traditional themes and symbolic elements while focusing on abstraction and modern life. His socialist views influenced his involvement in the French Communist Party.