Fernand Léger

Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris
Galerie Paul et Gilbert Pétridès, Paris (and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 29, 1988, lot 179)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

London, Marlborough Fine Art, Ltd., Fernand Léger, paintings, drawings, lithographs, ceramics, London, 1954, no. 41

Georges Bauquier, Fernand Léger, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, 1952-1953, Paris, 1993, no. 1504, illustrated in color p. 79

The work is in excellent original condition. The canvas is not lined. Under UV light, there is no apparent inpainting.
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.

Composed of vibrant colors and bold forms, Le Vase rouge is imbued with an extraordinary sense of dynamism and energy. The vase dominates the picture plane, while a thick twine rope connects it to the cluster of seemingly organic forms toward the right-hand side of the composition. Léger here merges abstract and figurative forms to superb effect, leading to an overall impression of pleasing harmony. The artist’s mature aesthetic is endowed with a remarkable vitality which is arguably comparable to the energy exhibited in the art of Pablo Picasso in his later years. After a period of working with purely abstract imagery, Léger returned to the use of figural subjects for his paintings in the 1940s and 1950s. He did not view this change as a rejection of the aims of abstraction, however, but rather as a necessary means of continuing to pursue the aims of pure painting with a new vocabulary. In contrast to the rarefied aesthetic of post-war abstraction, these later paintings were intended to exhibit broader public appeal with more accessible style and subject matter.

Making specific reference to his mature body of work, Léger wrote in 1950: "New subjects, envisaged with the contribution of the freedoms that previous experimentation has offered, must emerge and establish themselves” (quoted in Fernand Léger (exhibition catalogue), Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1998, p. 247). The goals were still the same, according to Léger, whether the image included objects from the everyday world or was completely abstract. “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 essential 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. But they must be subordinated to the three essential elements mentioned above” (ibid., p. 247).