W. K. Harrison & Max Abramovitz, New York (acquired from the artist in 1951)
Max Abramovitz, New York
Sale: Christie's, New York, November 14, 1996, lot 312
Private Collection, Switzerland (acquired at the above sale)

Georges Bauquier, Fernand Léger, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, 1949-1951, Paris, 1995, no. 1333, illustrated in color p. 35

In excellent condition. The canvas has not been lined. The pigments are fresh and vibrant. There are several extremely minor stable lines of cracking within the yellow pigments at upper right and bottom center. Under UV light: certain original pigments fluoresce but no inpainting is apparent. Overall the work is in excellent 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Executed in large blocks of primary tones, Nature morte en bleu encapsulates Léger's emphasis on the key role of pure color in his paintings. Rather than representing a likeness of the world that surrounds him, the artist uses overlapping patches of blue, red, yellow and green as the principal element of the composition, creating new spatial relationships within the two-dimensional plane of the canvas in a move which would influence artists such as Alexander Calder (see fig. 1).

The sharply outlined geometric forms provide contrast to the wide sweeps of color, suggesting a sense of movement throughout the composition. In 1950 Léger wrote: "The plastic life, the picture, is made up of harmonious relationships among volumes, lines and colors. These are the three forces that must govern works of art. If, in organizing these three elements harmoniously, one finds that objects, elements of reality, can enter into the composition, it may be better and may give the work more richness" (quoted in Carolyn Lanchner, Fernand Léger, New York, 1998, p. 247).

 

Fig. 1 Alexander Calder, Plûtot jaune, paint༒ed metal and wire, 1965, to be♑ offered in the Sotheby's Contemporary Art Day Sale, May 15, 2013, estimate: $1,000,000 - 1,500,000