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.
$30,000
Le Toit
By Fernand Léger
Located in New York, NY
Gouache and watercolor on paper, 1950. Initialed by the artist "FL" and dated "50" lower right. Exhibition History: Blue Moon Gallery/Lerner-Heller Gallery, New York, "An intimate ...
Gouache, Watercolor
$6,000
H 24 in W 20 in D 2 in
Abstract Work on Paper Mid-Century Modernism Greek American Gouache Drawing
By Jean Xceron
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Work on Paper Mid-Century Modernism Greek American Gouache Drawing. A modernist artist who emigrated to America from Greece in 1904, when he was fourteen years old, Jean Xceron is described as having a reputation as an artist that has mysteriously fallen into obscurity---especially since he was reportedly quite prominent during his lifetime. However, a partial explanation of that omission is the fact that many of his papers and early records have been lost. He was a painter of biomorphic abstractions and did collages, which were influenced by Dadaism. Xceron was active in New York City when modernism was gaining influence. Of him during this period, it was written that his artistic role was "a vital link between what is commonly termed as the first-generation (the Stieglitz group, the Synchromists, etc.) and second-generation, the American Abstract Artists, the Transcendental Painting...
Paper, Gouache
$9,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 25.5 in W 31.5 in D 1 in
Howard Schleeter 1949 Original Gouache & Wax Painting – Abstract Southwest Art
By Howard Schleeter
Located in Denver, CO
This striking original 1949 gouache and wax painting, titled "Fetishes", is a powerful work by acclaimed New Mexico modernist Howard Schleeter (1903–1976). Rich with symbolic abstrac...
Wax, Gouache
$796Sale Price|20% Off
H 33 in W 45 in D 2 in
Antique American Modernist Nature Study Lake Landscape Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas, circa 1940. Signed illegibly lower left. Image size, 36L x 24H. Housed in a period modern frame.
Canvas, Oil, Gouache
$1,966Sale Price|31% Off
H 28.25 in W 29.5 in D 1.5 in
1947 Abstract Gouache Family Portrait by Lewis Lee Tilley, American Modernist
Located in Denver, CO
Ortez (Modernist Family Portrait) is a vibrant 1947 abstract gouache on paper by American modernist artist Lewis Lee Tilley (1921–2005). This dynamic mid-century composition depicts ...
Paper, Gouache
"Orange Face"
By Rolph Scarlett
Located in Southampton, NY
Circa 1945 Signed lower left Sight size 12 x 10.5 in Overall size in newly matted one inch wide black frame 25.5 x 21.5 in
Gouache, Paper
$495
H 20 in W 17 in D 1 in
Vintage European Modernist Signed 1969 Landscape Coastal Signed Framed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist coastal seascape painting. Mixed media on board. Framed. Measuring: 17 by 20 inches overall. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.
Watercolor, Gouache, Board
$1,200
H 17.75 in W 14.75 in
1950s "Eve" American Modern MidCentury Figurative Gouache & Oil Pastel
By Donald Stacy
Located in Arp, TX
Donald Stacy "Eve" c.1950s Gouache and oil pastel on paper 14x17" black wood frame 14.75"x17.75" Unsigned, Eve written in paint along right margin Came from artist's estate Donald S...
Paper, Gouache, Oil Pastel
$279Sale Price|70% Off
H 17 in W 13.75 in
1950s "Red Sun" Mid Century Abstract Art Students League NYC
By Donald Stacy
Located in Arp, TX
Donald Stacy "Red Sun" c.1950s Gouache and oil pastel on paper 13.75" x 17" unframed Unsigned Came from artist's estate *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect framing time between 3-5 weeks. Donald Stacy (1925-2008) New Jersey Studied: Newark School of Fine Art The Art Students League...
Paper, Oil Pastel, Gouache
$357Sale Price|35% Off
H 18 in W 15 in
1950s "Rectangle" Mid Century Abstract Gouache Painting
Located in Arp, TX
Opper Estate Maroon Abstract c. 1940-1950's Gouache on Paper 15" x 18" Unframed From the estate of Ruth Friedmann Opper & Jerry Opper. Ruth was the daughter of Bauhaus artist, Gustav Friedmann. San Francisco Abstract Expression A free-spirited wave of creative energy swept through the San Francisco art community after World War II. Challenging accepted modes of painting, Abstract Expressionists produced highly experimental works that jolted the public out of its postwar complacency. Abstract Expressionism resulted from a broad collective impulse rather than the inspiration of a small band of New York artists. Documenting the interchanges between the East and West Coasts, she cites areas of mutual influence and shows the impact of San Francisco on the New York School, including artists such as Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt. San Francisco's Beat poets...
Paper, Gouache
$1,195Sale Price|20% Off
H 20.25 in W 15.25 in D 0.5 in
Boardman Robinson 1930s American Modern Carnival Scene Figurative Gouache Art
By Boardman Robinson
Located in Denver, CO
This striking 1930s American Modern painting by Boardman Robinson depicts a lively carnival scene centered around a display of theatrical masks. Executed as a figurative gouache pain...
Gouache
Two of Swords by Salvador Dalí
By Salvador Dalí
Located in New Orleans, LA
Salvador Dalí 1904-1989 Spanish Two of Swords Signed “Dalí” (upper right) Gouache on photographic background Representing a unique blend of spiritualism and Surrealism, this goua...
Gouache, Photographic Paper
Nine of Swords by Salvador Dalí
By Salvador Dalí
Located in New Orleans, LA
Salvador Dalí 1904-1989 Spanish Nine of Swords Signed “Dalí” (lower center) Gouache on photographic background Representing a unique blend of spiritualism and Surrealism, this go...
Gouache, Photographic Paper
Architectural Composition
By Fernand Léger
Located in Austin, TX
By Fernand Léger Medium: Mixed Media on Paper Size: 28" x 21" Framed Size: 39.25" x 32" An glorious example of a Master Cubist, Fernand Léger, featuring bold primaries and stately s...
Archival Paper, Gouache
Étude pour Gaz de France
By Fernand Léger
Located in London, GB
Sight size: 38.5 x 49 cm (15 ½ x 19 ⅛ inches) Sheet size: 52 x 76 cm (20 ½ x 29 ⅜ inches) Signed with the estate monogram stamp, F.L. This work is accompanied by a photo certif...
Gouache, Mixed Media, Paper