Buste de femme

Drawn in 1931, this drawing is compositionaly closely related to the oil of 1930 La Baigneuse, formerly in the collection of Henri Samuel (1904-1996) (fig. 1). Both the drawing and the oil mark an important transitional phase in Léger's work, from the mechanical figures of the 1920s to the monumental and more sculptural figures of the late 1930s. Such an evolution can also be seen in the oeuvre of Picasso, who in the early 1920s became particularly interested in drawing compositions of Romanesque women in classical settings. There can be little doubt that Léger was influenced by Picasso's decision to approach the human figure in a more volumatic manner.