Léger, Fernand, The Parade, 1953
1953
Model for the poster of the Fernand Léger Œuvres récentes exhibition, Maison de la Pensée Française, Paris, 1954
Pencil, gouache, Indian ink on paper
48 x 39.5 cm
Indication of colors in pencil on right, signed, dated by the artist in Indian ink lower right
Catalogue raisonné : Saphire E 22
The circus is a recurring theme in Fernand Léger’s pictorial universe. Like many modern artists, he often went to the Cirque d’Hiver and the Medrano circus. But the show is above all a pretext for reflection on art: it is a metaphor for modern life, as it condenses agitation and simultaneity into a single performance.
The lighting effects of Broadway shows were a revelation in the artist’s study of shapes and colors. On this model, green and red spotlights flood the acrobats with formless color.
About the author
Fernand Léger (1881-1951)
Fernand Léger’s work is both highly personal and imbued with the major trends of modernism that characterized the first half of the 20th century. Color, the decomposition of form, the rhythm of modern life and the city and its mechanistic imagery are omnipresent in his work. His distinctive way of describing volumes earned him the name “tubiste” coined by critic Louis Vauxcelles.
