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.