Fernand Léger's La Grande Parade is a monumental painting that focuses on movement, spectacle and modernity. The work depicts a colourful parade of acrobats, musicians and circus figures, composed of powerful fields of colour and cylindrical forms. Man and object seem almost mechanical, as if they are part of one dynamic system. In doing so, Léger depicts his fascination with modern life, the city and industrial society.
Fernand Léger (1881-1955) was a French painter who started out within Cubism, but soon developed his own distinctive style. He sought art that was accessible to a wide audience and strongly believed in the social role of art. Bright colours, clear contours and rhythmic compositions characterise his work. Léger saw beauty in technology, machines and collective life, and translated this into optimistic, almost festive images. La Grande Parade is a distinct example.
