Fernand Léger

Estate of the artist
Nadia Léger, Paris
Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris
Sale: Palais Galliéra, Paris, May 28, 1973, lot 27
Sale: Sotheby's, London, April 2, 1981, lot 359
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, May 8, 2008, lot 364
Acquired at the above sale

Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Fernand Léger, 1955, no. 60
Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs & Brussels, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Fernand Léger, 1956, no. 109
Zurich, Kunsthaus Zürich; Basel, Kunsthalle Basel & Munich, Haus der Kunst, Fernand Léger, 1957, no. 93
Salzburg, Galerie Welz, Meister der Ecole de Paris. Werke aus den Jahren 1900 bis 1950, 1984, no. 42
Paris, Galerie Louise Leiris, F. Léger, 55 oeuvres 1913-1953, 1985, no. 43
Issoire, Centre Culturel, Fernand Léger. oeuvres de 1928 à 1955, 1988, no. 9
Cologne, Museum Ludwig, Max Beckmann - Fernand Léger. Unerwartete Begegnungen, 2005, no. 51

Lawrence Saphire, Fernand Léger. The Complete Graphic Work, New York, 1978, illustrated p. 268
Serge Fauchereau, Fernand Léger, Paris & Barcelona, 1994, no. 105, illustrated
Georges Bauquier, Fernand Léger. Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint 1938-1943, Paris, 1998, no. 1138, illustrated p. 259

This work is in very good condition. The surface is clean with a rich impasto. There is a stroke of inpainting an inch long near the red circular shape. There are some dots of impasto along the upper edge to cover frame abrasion. There is a thin line of inpainting to cover a crack which extends horizontally through the central white shape.
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.

Inspired by the vitality and power of technological advances of the modern era, Léger set out to create a personal language of abstract forms and color capable of articulating the beauty of the modern age. Initially he sought to express this ideal through the Cubist, mechanized aesthetic evident in his early works. The 1930s saw a shift in focus, as Léger moved away from 'elitist' abstract forms towards a more figurative style. Underlying this more humanistic focus were Léger's populist concerns; he was a deeply political artist, and far more anxious than the majority of his contemporaries that his art reach the masses. The adoption of figurative elements during this period can therefore be interpreted in the light of these political and social aspirations for his art.

Le disque rouge is a wonderful example of the harmonious marriage between geometric composition, color and figurative elements that Léger achieved in his later work. While the introduction of recognizable objects help make these works more accessible, the underlying goals of the artist remained the same; "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 subordinate to the three essential elements mentioned above" (Beth Handler, Fernand Léger, (exhibition catalogue), The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1998, p. 247).