Fernand Léger

Galerie Louis Carré, Paris (acquired from the artist)
Galerie Blanche, Stockholm
Eva Burén, Stockholm
Private Collection, Europe (acquired from the above in December 1971. Sold: Sotheby's, London, 25th June 2008, lot 46)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Paris, Galerie Mai, Fernand Léger, oeuvres récentes, 1940
Stockholm, Galerie Blanche, Fransk Konst, l'Ecole de Paris, 1950, no. 27, illustrated on the cover of the catalogue
Malmö, Galerie Blanche, Fernand Léger, 1950, no. 27, illustrated on the cover of the catalogue
Stockholm, Galerie Blanche, Fernand Léger 1881-1955, 1955, no. 14

Jean Painlevé, 'A propos d'un nouveau réalisme chez Fernand Léger', in Cahiers d'Art, Paris, 1940, illustrated pp. 3 & 4
Georges Bauquier, Fernand Léger. Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint 1938-1943, Paris, 1998, no. 991, illustrated in colour p. 33

The canvas is unlined. There is a 2 by 2cm. area of retouching in the red pigment in the lower centre, visible under ultra-violet light. Apart from some slight stable craquelure, this work is in good condition.Colours: The colours are overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration.
"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."

Aroused by political feeling and a recognition of the social potential of art, Léger's compositions of the late 1930s adopted a universal approach and elemental iconography. Seeking to appeal to the masses, Léger's aesthetic rejected the need for any narrative, subverting conventional means of pictorial representation. This new style sought to break down the divides between high and low culture by celebrating the beauty of everyday objects.

Juxtaposing the organic with the structural, Léger used his 'law of contrasts' to replace the traditional constraints derived from Renaissance theory. Taking as his subject a simple lemon and surrounding it with associated and contrasting objects, Léger stripped down the elements to the bare essence of colour and form. His aim was for the plastic beauty of his art to 'provide the masses with a sort of aesthetic relief' (Carolyn Lanchner, Fernand Léger (exhibition catalogue), New York, 1998, p. 225).

The sculptural boldness of form, line and colour, the latter of which Léger proclaimed in 1938 as 'a vital necessity ... [a] raw material indispensable to life, like water and fire' (ibid., p. 227), reflect the concepts of American sculptor Alexander Calder whom Léger had met in 1930, following which Léger wrote the introduction to an exhibition of Calder's sculptures in Paris. The shared principles are evident in each of the artist's work. By eliminating any sense of perspective, the flat forms in Léger's Nature morte au citron float in space, layered claustrophobically, neither shape permitted to be the primary focus of the composition. Léger's compositions demanded a revised set of laws to read a work of art, laws governed by instinct and visualisation in place of education and class.