- 174
Fernand Léger
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
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Description
- Fernand Léger
- DEUX FEMMES AVEC UNE BRANCHE
- signed F.L. and dated 52 (lower right)
- brush and ink and gouache on paper
- 50.2 by 65.5cm., 19 3/4 by 25 3/4 in.
Provenance
Alexander Liberman (acquired directly from the artist)
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Condition
Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, T-hinged to the mount at two points along the top edge. There are artist's pinholes to all four corners. Apart from some studio dirt and light time staining to the exposed area of the sheet, this work is in very good condition.
Colours: The paper tone is warmer in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
The present work is a later variant of the large oil painting Leger completed in 1935 entitled Two Sisters. The ponderous, awkward forms of the two women run counter to any conventional idea of feminine beauty, and indicates Leger's belief that these aesthetic values compromised the expressive power of art; "If an object or a subject is beautiful, it is no longer a raw material but an artistic value in its own right, and therefore useless. One can only observe and admire". The monumentality of the figures, rendered with an economy and purity of line, contrasts with the sinuous delicacy of the flowers, creating one of the juxtapositions that were central to Leger's œuvre.