Fernand Leger – Artwork & Bio of the French Painter

Fernand Leger was a French painter born on 4 February 1881 in Argentan, France. When Fernand’s artistic talents began to manifest at a young age, his parents sent him to apprentice with an architect. He got formal training at the Academie Julian and the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs. Subsequently, Leger exhibited at the Salon des Independants and the Salon d’Automne, where he won acclaim internationally.

After his service in the army during WWI, Leger experimented with several art techniques and mediums, such as Futurism, set and costume design, and book illustration. He also founded a free art school in the 1920s. To circumvent serving in the Second World War, Leger relocated to New York. In 1945, he returned to France, where he died on 17 August 1955.

What was Fernand Leger Known For?

Fernand Leger was known as one of the forerunners of the Cubism movement. He painted abstractions and figures, often combining both subjects in his artworks. Leger’s cubist works were distinguishable through the recurring presence of cylindrical forms and machine-sembling human figures.

Who was Fernand Leger Influenced By?

Paul Cezanne’s works influenced Fernand Leger’s painting style. Leger initially started painting with Impressionist methods but switched to Cubism after the 1907 retrospective exhibition of Paul Cezanne’s artworks. His friendship with Le Corbusier and his circle of friends influenced his introduction of machinery in his paintings.

What Art Movement was Fernand Leger Associated With?

Fernand Leger was associated with the Cubism art movement. Cubism is an art movement that involves using geometrical shapes and forms to depict figures and objects. In the early 1900s, Leger created his first works in this style and stuck to it throughout his career.

Fernand Leger Artwork

Leger’s works are in prestigious museums and collections worldwide. Below are some of them

Acrobats and clowns

Chimneys on Rooftops

Contrast of forms

Geometric standards

Mona Lisa with the keys

Propellers 2nd state

Soldier with a Pipe

Staircase 19

The Exit of the Russian Ballet

The Great Tug

The House under the trees

The Railroad Crossing

The City

Woman with a Cat

The great Julie

The Man in the Blue Hat

All Fernand Leger Artwork on Artchive