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Fernand Léger Art

French, 1881-1955

A painter as well as a filmmaker, illustrator, stage-set designer, ceramicist and printmaker, Fernand Léger was one of the most prolific artists of the first half of the 20th century. His early mature work as a Cubist was marked by the use of bold colors and contrasts and a visual vocabulary inspired by industrial technology. In his later career, Léger turned to idiomatic, almost naïve depictions of human figures, in a belief that his work should be accessible to ordinary people and relevant to their lives.

Born in Normandy, the son of a cattle trader, Léger worked as an architectural draftsman in Paris while studying art. By 1908 he was a member of an artistic circle that included Marc Chagall, Robert Delaunay, sculptor Jacques Lipchitz, and the poet Guillaume Appolinaire, and through them he became connected to the Cubists. As opposed to the flat planes and neutral hues seen in the paintings of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, Léger’s Cubist abstractions were devised with vivid colors and forms that had dimensionality. Soon after his army service in World War I — he was gassed at the Battle of Verdun — Léger entered his “mechanical” period. Convinced that technology would improve the human condition, he painted compositions of tubular shapes and cylinders that are reminiscent of machine parts. In other work, Léger sought to capture the bustle and brio of modern life with references to railroad stations, factories, street signs and billboards.

Léger had also emerged from the trenches with a deep concern to make his art engage the sorts of men and women he had met during the war. He sought to bring his work to a wider audience through film, theater sets and book illustrations. In the 1920s, influenced by Purism — a variant on Cubism that promoted a simpler and more direct approach to forms and compositions — Léger produced a series of paintings depicting everyday objects: a soda siphon, an accordion, a guitar and vase. The human figure returned to his work. By 1930, pure abstraction disappeared almost completely from Léger’s art in favor of simple studies of people. Their boldly outlined forms, placed against a bright background, can be regarded as an assemblage of parts — yet in these representations of dancers, acrobats and folks on bicycles, Léger seems to be articulating a kind of kinship and affection. You will see from the works on offer why Fernand Léger is often regarded as the warmest and most humane of the great modern artists.

Find a collection of original Fernand Léger art today on 1stDibs.

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Artist: Fernand Léger
Dealer: Bailly Gallery Geneva-Paris
Tapis Blanc, Fernand Léger, 1920's, Tapestry, Wool, Rug, Design
By Fernand Léger
Located in Geneva, CH
Tapis blanc circa 1927 Hand-knotted wool 260.4 x 146.1 cm Signed and embroidered on the back : LEGER Marie Cuttoli and Lucie Weill Edition. Provenance: Private collection, USA (acquired from Madoura Workshop, Antibes in 1982) Exhibited: Fernand Léger . Peinture dans l'espace, Museum Ludwig of Cologne, from April 9th to July 3rd, 2016, another similar piece exhibited. Literature: Encyclopédie des métiers de l'art : Décoration Moderne Vol.I, Paris, 1930, gouache study illustrated in color under no.10, pl.97. An Exhibition of Contemporary French Tapestries, by Albert Chatelet Constantine, Charles E.Slatkin Galleries, 1965, illustrated in color p. Rob Mallet-Stevens, by S.Day, Paris, 1980, picture of a similar piece in the living room of Robert Mallet-Stevens in Paris, illustrated p.280. Marie Cuttoli, Myrbor et l'invention de la tapisserie moderne, by D.Paulvé, Paris, 2010, similar piece on the archive picture of the the office of Paul du Bousquet decorated by Pierre Barbe...
Category

1920s Art Deco Fernand Léger Art

Materials

Wool

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Fernand Léger art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Fernand Léger art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange, yellow, green and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Fernand Léger in lithograph, paper, stencil and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Fernand Léger art, so small editions measuring 10 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of André Lanskoy, Louise Nevelson, and Rufino Tamayo. Fernand Léger art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $150 and tops out at $183,075, while the average work can sell for $3,000.

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Questions About Fernand Léger Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 10, 2025
    Fernand Léger was famous for his work as an artist. A painter as well as a filmmaker, illustrator, stage-set designer, ceramicist and printmaker, Léger was one of the most prolific artists of the first half of the 20th century. His early mature work as a Cubist was marked by the use of bold colors and contrasts and a visual vocabulary inspired by industrial technology. In his later career, Léger turned to idiomatic, almost naïve depictions of human figures, in a belief that his work should be accessible to ordinary people and relevant to their lives. Explore a diverse assortment of Fernand Léger art on 1stDibs.

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