Léger, Fernand |
| PAINTER, SCULPTOR, DESIGNER (FRANCE) |
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BORN 4 Feb 1881, Argentan, Normandie - DIED 17 Aug 1955, Gif-sur-Yvette, Essone BIRTH NAME Léger, Jules Fernand Henri CAUSE OF DEATH heart attack GRAVE LOCATION Gif-sur-Yvette, Essonne: Nouveau Cimetière |
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Fernand Léger studied architecture in Caen. He failed at the Beaux-Arts de Paris, but he continued his studies at other academies. From 1903 he shared a studio with André Mare (1885-1932). Cézanne, Matisse and Rousseau influenced him. In 1908 he settled in La Ruche in Quartier Lambert in Paris. There he befriended many other artists. In 1910 he started his cubist period with "La Couseuse". In 1913 Daniel Henry Kahnweiler became his art dealer. He moved to a studio at 86 rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs. In 1919 he married Jeanny Lohy. He illustrated work for his friend Blaise Cendrars in 1918 and created costumes and sets for Swedish ballets in 1922-1923. In 1924 he made the film "Ballet mécanique". Together with Amédée Ozenfant he founded the Académie de l'art moderne in 1924 and he taught there until 1928. In 1940 he travelled to Marseille from where he left for the USA. There he taught at Yale University. After his return to France, he joined the Communist Party in 1945. In 1950 he worked on the decoration of the Sacre-Coeur church. He was widowed in the same year and in 1952 he married the painter Nadia Khodossievitch (1904-1982). He died in 1955 in Gif-sur-Yvette, Essone. Related persons • employed Bourgeois, Louise • was a friend of Brancusi, Constantin • knew Kupka, Frantisek • was influenced by Matisse, Henri • was teacher of Moll, Margarethe • was teacher of Rée, Anita |
| Images |
 'La fleur qui marche'. (1952) Picture by Pat/Androom (Jun 1998) |
Sources • Adler, Josef, Handbuch der Grabstätten, 2. Band, Die Grabstätte der Europäer, Deutsches Kunstverlag, München, 1986 • Fernand Léger - Wikipédia (FR) |
