FERNAND LEGER

1 February 1881, Argentan, Normandy, France

17 August 1955, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

He was the son of a stock-breeder, and very youg began working as aprentice as draughtsman to an architect. He had time to take courses in private art-schools in Paris and at the École des Arts Décoratifs.

He was impressed by the work of Cézanne and Matisse, but the first great influence was Cubism.

In 1914 he went to the war and, as a sensitive artist, was profoundly affected by it. Invalided out of the army as a result of poison gas.

In 1920 he met Le Corbusier.

During the II World War he travelled a great deal particularly in USA and, in 1945, he returned to Paris.

In 1951 he designed the stain-glass windows for the little church of Audincourt.

He had never been an orthodox adherent of Cubism, nor did he belong to the abstract school. He dealt with the world of things, recreating objects in a highly individual style (tubular forms).

The paintings of his last years proclaim his love of life, of mankind in work and play, at in The Builders and The grand parade.

The architectonic quality of his work is better seen in his mural paintings, mosaics and stained-glass.

"Au cirque"

"Le beau est partout"

"Les loisirs sur fond rouge"

"Mujer con gato"

"The woman and the child", 1922

"Three sisters", 1952

"Construction workers", 1951

"Animated landscape"

"Adam and Eve", 1939

"Big Julie", 1945

"Les trois musiciens", 1930