The Colour & The Shape

AT THE TURN OF THE 20th century, a palpable artistic energy was emerging from the Montparnasse neighborhood of Paris. Major 21st-century art movements, including Cubism and Surrealism, were in their respective nascent stages and pioneering modernist creators such as Pablo Picasso, Robert Delaunay, and Amedeo Modigliani were setting the groundwork for what would become major aesthetic developments in art history. It was here, at the center of the avant-garde art scene, that the artists Fernand Léger (1881–1955) and Marc Chagall (1887–1985) first crossed paths.

PICTURE 1: FERNAND LÉGER PARTIE DE CAMPAGNE, CA. 1952-3, INK AND GOUACHE ON PAPER, 64.1 X 48.3 CM

While their artistic approaches were different - Léger’s work was influenced by Cubism and modern industrial themes, whereas Chagall was rooted in fantasy and folklore - their work refl ected the significant cultural and intellectual upheaval occurring in Paris at the time. Society in early 20th-century Paris was marked by an increased focus on industrialization and urbanization and the perceived decline in traditional moral systems within society, resulting in a sense of collective angst. In different ways, Léger and Chagall used their art to explore this societal sway between tradition and modernity. And, from July 4 to August 31, Opera Gallery in Monaco digs deeper into the dueling influences and parallel experiences of the two artists with their exhibition “Monaco Masters Show: Chagall & Léger, la couleur et la forme.”

The Monaco Masters Show: Chagall & Léger, la couleur et la forme
July 4 to August 31, 2025

PICTURE 2: MARC CHAGALL LE PEINTRE, 1976 OIL ON CANVAS, 65 X 54 CM

Fernand Léger’s move to Paris at the age of 27 aligned with the origin of Cubism, a movement pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, which more than fundamentally shifted the way art was perceived. Léger would come to interpret and adapt principles of the movement into a style all his own that became known as “tubism” due to the prominence of forms in his compositions that appeared to be both cylindrical and mechanical. Through his use of bold, fl at primary colors and stylized, graphic approach to fi guration, Léger developed a style that celebrated the technological developments of modern life.

In Nature morte aux trois papillons (1952), even Léger’s depiction of nature and organic forms takes on a technical quality with bold colors framed by black contour lines. In a 1923 essay titled Les Réalités Nouvelles (The New Realities), Léger stated, “The modern beauty is the beauty of the mechanical and industrial world.” His fascination with industrialization and its aesthetic are refl ected in his paintings, which represent industrial forms not as destabilizing threats to humanity but rather as symbols of possibility and progress.

Marc Chagall, six years Léger’s junior, immigrated to Paris in 1910 from his native Belarus and became involved with the École de Paris, a group of international artists working in the city. Though he drew heavily from his Jewish heritage and childhood in Belarus, it was his time in Paris that helped expand his visual vocabulary and encourage experimentation, resulting in a departure from the more narrative driven art in his early years. His paintings drew upon his personal experiences with love and exile and refl ected his interest in exploring the complexity of the human condition and notion of nostalgia.

PICTURE 3: MARC CHAGALL L'ÂNE VERT, 1978 OIL ON CANVAS, 73 X 60 CM

In his autobiography, My Life, Chagall remarked that: “Color is the only thing that can speak directly to the heart, without the need for words or explanations.” It was through his fantastical color palette and lyrical compositions, often evocative of dreams, that he explored the notions of nostalgia and the intangibility of emotional states. In Le Peintre (1976), Chagall depicts an artist in the foreground, surrounded by folkloric imagery—two lovers, a cityscape of Paris, and a rooster—that appear simultaneously weightless, symbolic and fl eeting. Divided into four distinct quadrants of red, yellow, green, and blue, Chagall masterfully uses color as an emotive tool.

PICTURE 4: FERNAND LÉGER LA JEUNE FILLE À LA BRANCHE, 1951 GOUACHE ON PAPER, 70 X 60 CM

Though their styles were vastly different, both Léger’s and Chagall’s work can be seen as a celebration of humanity’s enduring spirit. Léger, with his framing of the human fi gure as an intrinsic component of the modern world, celebrated the individual as a vital component of the collective. In contrast, Chagall’s work took a more nuanced, mythical lens to his representation of humanity, embracing tradition and symbolism.

PICTURE 5: FERNAND LÉGER NATURE MORTE AUX TROIS PAPILLONS, 1952 OIL ON CANVAS, 91 X 63 CM

“The Monaco Masters Show: Chagall & Léger, la couleur et la forme” explores the broad range of themes—both literal and abstract—that Léger and Chagall explored throughout their lives that continue to resonate today. From their early crossover within the avant-garde scene in Paris where their formal artistic journeys began to their eventual settling as residents in the South of France (Léger in Biot; Chagall in Vence then Saint-Paul-de-Vence), this exhibition celebrates their legacy.

PICTURE 6: MARC CHAGALL BOUC ROUGE LISANT AU-DESSUS DES AMOUREUX AU REPOS, 1971 OIL AND GOUACHE ON CANVAS, 45.8 X 38 CM

In tandem with the focus on Léger and Chagall, the gallery’s Master’s exhibition features a wider presentation of nearly thirty 20th-and 21st-century masterworks from artists, including Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Jean Dubuffet, Alexander Calder, Pierre Soulages, Roy Lichtenstein, Niki de Saint Phalle, Yayoi Kusama, Alex Katz, Fernando Botero, Andy Warhol, Tom Wesselmann, Manolo Valdés, George Condo, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Damien Hirst.

PICTURE 7: MARC CHAGALL LE CIRQUE, CA. 1974-80, OIL ON CANVAS, 38.5 X 46.1 CM

From July 7–9, the gallery participates in the 9th edition of Art Monte-Carlo at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco (Booth D7), presenting works by Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Marc Chagall, Jean Dubuff et, Pierre Soulages, Karel Appel, Roy Lichtenstein, Niki de Saint Phalle, Fernando Botero, Manolo Valdés, Andy Denzler, and Pieter Obels.

OPERA GALLERY

1, av. Henri Dunant
Palais de la Scala
operagallery.com

Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday: 10am to 7:30pm
Sunday: 11am to 6pm

By Katherine Mcmahon

Contributor