Fernand Léger

Louis Carré, New York
Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1966)
 

The work has been executed on tracing paper which was subsequently mounted to a heavy cardboard. The paper is lifting a bit at some areas of the edge. There are a few creases resulting from the mounting of the paper as well. While most of the pigment is in fine condition, the white throughout the work has flaked significantly. Due to the risk of even greater pigment loss, it is not recommended to remove the cardboard mount from the work. This report has been kindly provided by the paper conservator Alan Firkser.
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.

The present work is one of a series of studies Leger created around 1944 for his work La Belle Equipe. The inspiration behind this subject was a film by the French director Julien Duvivier, which was released in 1936 and shared the same title. The socialist message of the film, in which cooperative workers transcend their individual interests to create a community in which "Chaque citoyen (etant) president", chimed with Leger's increased involvement with syndicalism and the cultural debates of the 'Front Populaire'.

 

This work is a representation of this vision of communal harmony, the relaxed poses and easy interaction between the figures suggesting a mutually supportive social order. Leger believed art was a progressive influence on the evolution of society, and sought to project a vision of an idealized society in which the individual has embraced an egalitarian social order. The interlocking composition of this work, in which the spokes of cycles, the limbs of the figures and the branches of the trees seem intertwined, is symbolic of the integration of nature, the individual and industrialized society in Leger's progressive, socialist future.