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15% OFF ALL LIST PRICES ON ALL ARTWORK AND FREE SHIPPING SALE ENDS MAY 8, 2008

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ARTIST: Fernand Léger (1881 - 1955)
TITLE: Tête Et Cactus (Head And Cactus), 1954
MEDIUM: Original Color Lithograph
IMAGE SIZE: 10.6" X 13.7" (27 X 35 Cm)
SHEET SIZE: 13.75" X 17" (34.93 X 43.18cm)
FRAMED SIZE: 33 5/8" X 30 3/8" (85.42cm X 77.12cm)
SIGNATURE: Hand Signed By Fernand Léger (1881 - 1955) In Blue Ink In The Lower Right Margin.
EDITION: Numbered 75/200 In Pencil In The Lower Left Margin.
CONDITION: In Good Condition With Strong Bold Colors.
PRICE: $7,000

DISCUSSION:
Juxtaposing the serene feminine features of the bust with the rounded pads of the cactus, the artist creates an abstracted aesthetic that relies solely upon the necessary descriptive details. Adding further intrigue to the image, Leger uses brilliant colors to animate the work. Placed against a brilliant pool of blue, the two central objects engage in an intriguing dialogue of form and matter. The organic quality of the cactus contrasts to the regimented portrayal of the bust. It is interesting to note how the viewer reads the two objects. Innately the human eye equates a sense of animation to the representation of the human form, while in actuality the cactus is the living form. Leger cleverly contrast the relationship of animate an inanimate objects.

Created in 1954, this work was included in an album of 10 serigraphs printed by Jean Bruller. The series was published in an edition of 200 by La Guilde Internationale de la Gravure. This particular work is numbered 75/200, hand signed by Fernand Léger (1881 - 1955) in blue ink in the lower left margin and also stamped in the stone in the upper left with Jean Bruller's monogram stamp.

CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ & COA: It is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work):
1. Saphire, Lawrence, Fernand Leger, The Complete Graphic Works, 1978, listed on page 288 - 289 as E9.

ABOUT THE FRAMING:
This work is displayed in a modern Spanish inspired frame. The outer portion of the molding is a black which is accented by the striated gilt interior of the molding. Abstracted ribbing runs the length of the molding which accentuates Leger's asymmetrical boarders around the image. The framing is completed with cream linen mattes and a complimenting inner fillet.

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