Fernand Léger (1881 - 1955)
The Great Parade with Red Background, 1953
Oil on canvas. H. 114,5 ; W. 156,2 cm
Biot, musée national Fernand Léger
© Photo Rmn - GP, (Musée national Fernand Léger) / G. Blot
© Adagp, Paris, 2023
© Rmn - Grand Palais, Paris 2023.
On either side of the letter C, nine characters...
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Fernand Léger (1881 - 1955)
The Great Parade with Red Background, 1953
Oil on canvas. H. 114,5 ; W. 156,2 cm
Biot, musée national Fernand Léger
© Photo Rmn - GP, (Musée national Fernand Léger) / G. Blot
© Adagp, Paris, 2023
© Rmn - Grand Palais, Paris 2023.
On either side of the letter C, nine characters (clowns, acrobats, squires, animals) appear to pose for the photographer. Circled in black and standing out in a floating block on a red background, they constitute a fresco that is both synthetic and swirling which condenses the pictorial theory of Fernand Léger. Concerned about an art that is direct and accessible to all, the artist abandoned his Cubist series of contrasts of forms on his return from the war in 1918 and now illustrates contemporary myths. His work thus deployed until his death the theme of popular leisure activities such as cyclists or shows and in particular the circus. As usual, the artist produced several versions - including this one, very graphic - before creating the final work which now belongs to the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Donation by Nadia Léger and Georges Bauquier.
Printed in France
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