Fernand Léger

Louis Carré, Paris (acquired directly from the artist in 1950; thence by descent and sold: Piasa/Artcurial, Paris, December 10, 2002, lot 315)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Executed on cream wove paper. The verso of the sheet is not visible because the sheet has been attached to its supporting mat. There are pinholes to all four corners and a cluster in the center of the upper edge. There is some staining along the lower edge as visible in the catalogue illustration. There is some loss of pigment in the lower center in the leaf-like shape. There is craquelure to the white pigment and to the blue pigment in the left quadrant. There is some vertical creasing to the paper which has been laid down and is associated with some minor pigment loss along the lines. One of these vertical lines is located in the lower left quadrant and another at the middle of the composition. There are other minor losses and creasing which has been laid down throughout the composition. The pigments is extremely fresh and bright, The work is in fairly good condition.
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.

Executed in large blocks of solid pigment, the present work encapsulates Léger’s belief in the key role of pure color in his painting. Rather than representing a likeness of the world that surrounds him, the artist uses overlapping patches of color as the principal element of the composition, creating new spatial relationships within the two-dimensional plane of the canvas.

Focusing on the pictorial elements of color and form, the overlapping elements of Nature morte au pichet are painted in strong, unmodulated colors, delineated in black and silhouetted against a flat monochrome background. According to Léger, it is the primary colors, combined with black and white that express the reality of the medium of painting. Rather than imitating nature, the artist was interested in exploring the language of painting in its fullest and purest form, thus reducing his vocabulary to the essential pictorial elements. Nature morte au pichet is further indicative of the artist’s metamorphosis of style from the preponderance of figurative works he made during his earlier career to the fully abstract compositions that defined the final years of his life. As a result, Léger’s composition defies a sense of gravity and transcends the earth-bound nature of a traditional work of art. In 1950 Léger wrote, “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 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” (quoted in Carolyn Lanchner, Fernand Léger, New York, 1998, p. 247).

This work was gifted by the artist to Louis Carré, Léger’s longtime dealer who was renowned for representing and exhibiting the Modern masters, including Gris, Klee, Matisse, Calder, Delaunay and Picasso.