Fernand Léger

Galerie Louis Carré, Paris
Private Collection
Galerie Berggruen & Cie., Paris (acquired in 1972)
Frank Morini, New York
Acquired circa 1980

Georges Bauquier, Fernand Léger. Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, 1944-1948, Paris, 1996, no. 1212, illustrated in color p. 103

This painting has never been restored and is still stretched on its original stretcher. The paint layer has acquired a slight patina and the canvas has developed some waves in the purple shape in the upper left. These do not bring about any instability and although the paint layer would respond to cleaning, this should not necessarily be embarked upon. It is possible that there is one tiny paint loss in the purple section in the lower left corner and there are also some slightly darker patches here and there in the purple which may have developed over time, but these are not unstable or unsightly. The above condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

After a period of working with abstract imagery, Léger returned to the use of realistic subjects for his paintings in the 1940s and '50s.  Léger did not view this change as a rejection of the aims of abstraction, however, but rather as a way of continuing to pursue the aims of pure painting with a new vocabulary.  Léger wrote in 1950, "New subjects, envisaged with the contribution of the freedoms that previous experimentation has offered, must emerge and establish themselves."  The goals were still the same, according to Léger, whether the image included objects form the everyday world or was completely abstract, "The plastic life, the picture, is made up of harmonious relationships among volumes, lines, and colors.  These are the three forces that must govern works of art.  If, in organizing these three essential elements harmoniously, one finds that objects, elements of reality, can enter into the composition, it may be better and may give the work more richness.  But they must be subordinated to the three essential elements mentioned above" (quoted in Fernand Léger (exhibition catalogue), The Museum of Modern Art,  New York, 1998, p. 247).

Nature morte is a wonderful example of the approach to painting that Léger described.  Painted in 1946, this deceptively simple composition is actually a complex combination of organic forms; the still life juxtaposed with a phytomorphic design.  Léger also combines three-dimensional forms such as the two vases with more organic devices that serve to heighten the viewer's visual experience.  There is no device that grounds the flower, but instead a striped field suspends the composition that moves seamlessly from background to the first plane of the viewer. 

The elements in the present work at first glance seem to be related to conventional still-life subjects.  However, they are not used in a traditional manner and defy categorization and perspective.  They appear to lie directly on the picture plane.  As Léger explained, "I placed objects in space so that I could not place an object on a table without diminishing its value.  I selected an object, chucked the table away.  I put the object in space, minus the perspective.  Minus anything to hold it there.  I then had to liberate the color to an even greater extent"  (Dora Vallier, 'La vie fait l'oeuvre de Fernand Léger,' Cahier d'Arts, no. 2, Paris, 1954, pp. 152-153).