By Fernand Léger
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph after Fernand Leger (1881–1955), titled Feuilles vertes et fond orange (Green Leaves and Orange Background), from the album XXe Siecle, numero special hors abonnement, Cahiers d'art publies sous la direction de G. di San Lazzaro, Hommage a Fernand Leger, originates from the 1971 edition published by Societe Internationale d'Art XXe siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1971. Feuilles vertes et fond orange exemplifies Leger’s mastery of modern form and color, uniting bold geometry and organic vitality in a celebration of rhythm, balance, and the harmony between nature and mechanized abstraction.
Executed as a lithograph on velin paper, this work measures 9.75 x 12.5 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Mourlot Freres, Paris.
Artwork Details:
Artist: After Fernand Leger (1881–1955)
Title: Feuilles vertes et fond orange (Green Leaves and Orange Background), from the album XXe Siecle, numero special hors abonnement, Cahiers d'art publies sous la direction de G. di San Lazzaro, Hommage a Fernand Leger
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 9.75 x 12.5 inches (24.77 x 31.75 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued
Date: 1971
Publisher: Societe Internationale d'Art XXe siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue raisonne reference: Leger, Fernand, and Lawrence Saphire. Fernand Leger: The Complete Graphic Work. Blue Moon Press, 1978, illustration 120.
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album XXe Siecle, numero special hors abonnement, Cahiers d'art publies sous la direction de G. di San Lazzaro, Hommage a Fernand Leger, published by Societe Internationale d'Art XXe siecle, Paris; printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1971
About the Publication:
Gualtieri di San Lazzaro's XXe Siecle (Twentieth Century) was one of the most influential art journals of the modern era, founded in Paris in 1938 as a platform for the greatest painters, sculptors, and writers of the 20th century. San Lazzaro, a visionary editor, critic, and champion of modernism, believed that art and literature should coexist as expressions of a shared human imagination. Under his direction, XXe Siecle became a cultural bridge between Europe and the wider world, publishing special issues devoted to leading figures such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque, Calder, Miro, Kandinsky, and Leger. Each edition combined essays by renowned critics and poets with original lithographs printed by the foremost ateliers of Paris, London, and New York, including Mourlot, Curwen, and Universal Graphics, creating a uniquely rich dialogue between text and image. Through XXe Siecle, San Lazzaro preserved the creative spirit of the avant-garde during and after World War II, championing freedom of expression and the evolution of abstraction, surrealism, and modern thought. Over nearly four decades, the journal shaped international taste and defined the intellectual landscape of postwar art publishing. Today, XXe Siecle remains celebrated for its extraordinary synthesis of art, literature, and design, an enduring testament to Gualtieri di San Lazzaro's belief that the visual arts are the soul of the modern age.
About the Artist:
Fernand Leger (1881–1955) was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker whose pioneering fusion of modern life, mechanization, and visual abstraction made him one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Emerging from the Cubist movement, Leger developed a highly personal style distinguished by bold contrasts, cylindrical forms, and rhythmic compositions that celebrated the beauty of industrial progress and the vitality of modern urban life. Deeply influenced by the innovations of Paul Cezanne and the structural experimentation of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, Leger transformed Cubism’s fragmented perspective into a dynamic, machine-age aesthetic that bridged fine art, architecture, and design. His work often depicted workers, machinery, and everyday objects as monumental symbols of harmony between humanity and technology, reflecting both his optimism for modernity and his belief in the democratization of art. During his career, Leger was part of an extraordinary artistic circle that included Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray—visionaries who shared his commitment to pushing the boundaries of artistic form and expression. A leading figure in the international avant-garde, Leger also explored large-scale murals, public art, and film, expanding the reach of modern art beyond the gallery. His works are represented in major museum collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Centre Pompidou, the Tate, and the Guggenheim, where they continue to inspire admiration for their bold geometry, humanist vision, and timeless modernity. The highest price ever paid for a Fernand Leger artwork is approximately $70 million USD, achieved in 2017 at Christie's New York for Contraste de formes (1913).
Fernand Leger Feuilles vertes et fond orange, Leger Green Leaves and Orange Background, Leger 1971 XXe siecle, Leger Mourlot...
Category
1970s Cubist Art