Fernand Léger

Fernand Léger (1881–1955) was born in Argentan, France, and moved to Paris in 1900, working as an architectural draftsman while taking art classes. Early on, his work reflected Impressionist influences, but seeing Cézanne’s retrospective in 1907 and encountering early Cubism deeply shaped his style. By 1911, Léger’s art became increasingly abstract, focusing on primary colors and bold forms, and he held his first solo exhibition in Paris in 1912.

After serving in World War I, Léger entered his “mechanical” period, depicting figures and objects with tubular, machine-like forms. Throughout the 1920s, he collaborated on films and designed sets and costumes, completing Ballet mécaniquein 1924. Léger also created murals, book illustrations, and ceramics while exhibiting internationally, including at MoMA and the Art Institute of Chicago. He lived in the U.S. during World War II before returning to France, where he continued working on large-scale projects. In 1955, he won the Grand Prize at the São Paulo Bienal, shortly before his death. The Musée Fernand Léger opened in Biot, France, in 1960 to honor his legacy.