Lucien Rosengart Collection, Nice
Jeffrey H. Loria & Co., New York
Private Collection, United States (acquired from the above in 2006 and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 3, 2011, lot 142)
Acquired at the above sale

Executed on cream wove paper, taped into a window mat along the top edge of the verso. There are a few minor nicks in the surface mostly along the extreme bottom corners and along the center of the top edge. There are artist's pinholes on the center and corners of the top edge. Another larger, possibly intentioned, pin hole on the bird's peak. There is a quarter inch tear just below the signature and some minor surface dirt along the bottom edge. On the verso the top and side edges are reinforced with tape and there are numerous studio stains. There is also an inscription of authentication by Nadja Leger. Otherwise the work is in good 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.

After a period of working with abstract imagery, Léger returned to the use of realistic subjects for his paintings in the 1940s and 1950s. Léger did not view this change as a rejection of the aims of abstraction, but rather as a way of continuing to pursue the aims of pure painting with a new vocabulary. The goals were still the same, according to Léger, whether the image included objects from the everyday world or was completely abstract, "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 essential 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. But they must be subordinated to the three essential elements mentioned above" (Beth Handler, Fernand Léger, (exhibition catalogue), The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1998, p. 247).