Details

Provenance

Nelson A. Rockefeller Jr., New York (acquired directly from the artist in 1938) Marlborough Fine Art, London (acquired from the above) Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1975) Thence by descent to the present owners

Exhibited

Malines, Musée municipal et Centre Culturel Bourgmestre A. Spinoy, Fernand Léger , 1979, no. 108, illustrated in colour in the catalogue Condition The board is stable. The image is slightly time stained and there are some tape remnants along the left and right edges, not visible when framed. There are several faint handling marks, not visible when framed, to the upper edge and lower left corner, possibly relating to studio dirt. The colours are fresh and this work is in overall very good condition. "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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE." Catalogue Note Throughout his working life Fernand Léger consistently turned his hand to projects ‘beyond the easel’, producing book illustrations, stained-glass windows, mosaics and ceramic sculptures as well as set and costume designs. It is unsurprising therefore that when arts patron Nelson Rockefeller requested that Léger design a mural for his New York apartment, Fernand Léger not only accepted the commission but promptly and enthusiastically travelled to New York to execute the commission in situ. The present gouache is one of the extensive set of designs that Léger created for the mural that would be placed in the living room of the Fifth Avenue apartment. Though the present design was not selected, Nelson Rockefeller kept the study in his collection. Rockefeller fondly recalls the time as both an artistic and personal success: ‘…our friends Henri Matisse and Fernand Léger accepted commissions to undertake murals. Matisse did the mural in Paris from full-scale drawings of the fireplace, but Léger came over to New York and actually did the painting in the apartment. I used to watch Léger with fascination as he painted and the details of the murals unfolded. After he had finished, we liked it so much that we persuaded him to do additional murals for the circular stairwell and the hallways… Léger was a wonderful human being, we remained friends until his death’ (Nelson Rockefeller quoted in William S. Liebermann, The Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection: Masterpieces of Modern Art , New York, 1981, p. 16).

Catalog summary

Fernand Léger Composition abstraite signed with the initials F.L. and dated 38 (lower right) gouache on board 74 by 60.5cm., 29 1/8 by 23 3/4 in. gouache on card 75.8 by 60.3cm. Executed in 1938. Provenance Nelson A. Rockefeller Jr., New York (acquired directly from the artist in 1938) Marlborough Fine Art, London (acquired from the above) Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1975) Thence by descent to the present owners Exhibited Malines, Musée municipal et Centre Culturel Bourgmestre A. Spinoy, Fernand Léger , 1979, no. 108, illustrated in colour in the catalogue Condition The board is stable. The image is slightly time stained and there are some tape remnants along the left and right edges, not visible when framed. There are several faint handling marks, not visible when framed, to the upper edge and lower left corner, possibly relating to studio dirt. The colours are fresh and this work is in overall very good condition. "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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE." Catalogue Note Throughout his working life Fernand Léger consistently turned his hand to projects ‘beyond the easel’, producing book illustrations, stained-glass windows, mosaics and ceramic sculptures as well as set and costume designs. It is unsurprising therefore that when arts patron Nelson Rockefeller requested that Léger design a mural for his New York apartment, Fernand Léger not only accepted the commission but promptly and enthusiastically travelled to New York to execute the commission in situ. The present gouache is one of the extensive set of designs that Léger created for the mural that would be placed in the living room of the Fifth Avenue apartment. Though the present design was not selected, Nelson Rockefeller kept the study in his collection. Rockefeller fondly recalls the time as both an artistic and personal success: ‘…our friends Henri Matisse and Fernand Léger accepted commissions to undertake murals. Matisse did the mural in Paris from full-scale drawings of the fireplace, but Léger came over to New York and actually did the painting in the apartment. I used to watch Léger with fascination as he painted and the details of the murals unfolded. After he had finished, we liked it so much that we persuaded him to do additional murals for the circular stairwell and the hallways… Léger was a wonderful human being, we remained friends until his death’ (Nelson Rockefeller quoted in William S. Liebermann, The Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection: Masterpieces of Modern Art , New York, 1981, p. 16).