Fernand Léger, Reading And Lunch, 1922

Fernand Léger (1881-1955)
Reading and Lunch, 1922
Original lithograph by Fernand Mourlot Lithograph on 250 copies and a few off-the-shelf copies including this one.
Numbering: 22/250
Work signed in felt pen lower right "F. Léger" Fernand Léger was born in 1881 in Argentan, Normandy. Son of a cattle breeder, he moved to Paris at the age of 19 to train as an architect. He shares a studio with the painter André Mare and frequents the cultural milieu of the capital (Chagall, Modigliani, Apollinaire, Cendrars…). The city fascinates him. He goes to the circus, fond of shows. He painted Compotier sur table (1909) and became one of the first Cubists, alongside Braque and Picasso (La Couseuse, 1909). In the Sketch for the woman in blue (1912) appears the theory of contrasts which will be the asset of his great works. He revolutionized the world of billboard advertising by using large geometric flat areas, innovative typographic characters and the isolated presentation of objects. The 1930s are those of international recognition. Léger is exhibited in major museums (Kunsthalle Zurich, 1933) and travels around the world.