After a design by Fernand Léger

Haim Chanin Fine Art, New York
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, May 4, 2006, lot 354
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Yvonne Brunhammer, Fernand Léger: The Monumental Art, Milan, 2005, illustration of another example p. 167

Good condition. Very light craquelure inherent to the glaze. The cement joining the cast sections of ceramic have some small areas of paint loss and dirt in places. There are small areas of light surface dirt and a few scattered nicks and scratches throughout the work. The wooden base is split in some areas along the joins.
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.

Léger first sculpted Le Tournesol in 1952. He had arrived at the medium of ceramic several years earlier when he began to work in the polychrome sculpture studio of Roland Brice. This new medium allowed for wholly new expressions of Léger's artistic intentions. With a renewed sense of possibility, the artist created fresh and complex sculptures that redefined contemporary ceramics at the time. He reconciled his earlier explorations of Cubism with a new approach to volume and color. These initial experiments with ceramic also revealed an acute awareness of architectural space and urban landscape. Inspired by the monumentality of city architecture, Léger brought a grander sense of scale to his sculptures. In turn, he imbued these sculptures with a vibrancy of color which the cityscape lacked.

Le Tournesol demonstrates this move towards architectural cooperation, a theme which would interest Léger for the rest of his artistic career. The grand scale of this piece, coupled with the brilliant and explosive coloring, gives a clear sense of the new direction which the artist was taking in these revelatory post-war years. As the poet André Verdet described, "Leger's ceramics are the tranquil assertion of the exuberance of life. Their healthy coloring, the weight of their flesh, their tactile qualities, their orderliness, the confidence that emanates from them [...], all that makes us see them as real objets d'art that have a beneficial utility in the time and space allotted us" (quoted in Yvonne Brunhammer, Fernand Léger; The Monumental Art, Milan, 2005, p. 140).

Fig. 1  Fernand Léger in the studio of Roland Brice, circa 1952

Another view of the present work