Pencil on paper
28.2 x 22.2 cm

Donated by Nadia Léger and Georges Bauquier, 1969
Musée National Fernand Léger Inv. MNFL 97003

Scissors, keys and compasses, just like hands, are vital tools for creation. These objects are part of the research that Léger developed to release them from the conventional support of the table, from the conventional laws agreed for still life. The artist advances slowly by observing all of the possible stances that will enhance the object. Here, the hand is still holding the scissors before they fully take on their own independence in space. The exact details and effects of volumes accentuate the drawing’s objectivity and the painter’s concern for a “finished” piece, while the repeated fragment of the compass adds depth to the whole composition drawn with a faint outline.