Fernand Léger Et Les Toits De Paris

Exhibition at the Kröller-Müller museum, Otterlo, 19 November 2022 - 2 April 2023

Between 1909 and 1914, Fernand Léger became one of the leading cubists. From 1908 onwards, he radically departed from the style of his early works, which were strongly inspired by Paul Cézanne, in search of new artistic possibilities.

An important role in this development was played by a series of paintings Léger made in 1911-1912, Fumées sur les toits. These works depict the view from his Paris studio, from which he looked out over the rooftops with plumes of smoke floating above. He captured the contrast between the soft, shifting clouds of smoke and the hard, angular architectural masses to pave the way for a more abstract and radical artistic language. This research eventually led to Cubist works such as Contrasting Forms (1913-1914), which he produced on the eve of the First World War.

A few years ago, a previously unknown painting was discovered on the back of a canvas by Léger at the Triton Collection Foundation. This discovery led to the exhibition of which this book is the catalogue. The book also analyses the influence of artists such as Cézanne, Picasso and Braque on Léger.