Glazed, transfer printed china, c. 1950, diameter 9.75 ins.

Fernand Léger (1881–1955) was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker who also created mosaics and ceramic art. His boldly simplified treatment of modern subject matter has caused him to be regarded as a forerunner of pop art. In 1911 the exhibition committee of the Salon des Indépendants curated a show of the painters who would soon be identified as 'Cubists' for the first time. These artists, including Jean Metzinger, Henri Le Fauconnier, Robert Delaunay and Léger, were largely responsible for introducing Cubism to the general public. The "mechanical" works Léger painted in the 1920s, in their formal clarity and figurative subject matter, link him to the tradition of French figurative painting. Glazed signatures on the front of the china show 'F.L.' Signed with stamped manufacturer's mark 'APILCO' and applied decal label to verso 'Editions S.E.A.L. Exclusivite, Musee F. Leger, BIOT.’

Courtesy Friend of The Dorsky