Fernand LégerFrench, 1881–1955Compositional Study for Man with a Pipe
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Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- 2 days ago
- In this state since
- Sep 25, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the work
In his art Léger focuses on the mechanization of the world in the wake of World War I. He juxtaposes the human body with the forms and shapes of modern, industrial imagery, creating compositions that thrive on the cold and calculating precision of pure geometry and Cubist abstraction. In this preparatory study for the painting Man with a Pipe from 1920, Léger fashions figures out of machine parts and turns a café into a tight composition of circles and lines. Details such as the stairs and railing at the right, the table and bench at the lower left, and the puffs of smoke from the man's pipe, are subordinated to the overall sense of dynamic movement and a fragmented, dehumanized world.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 80.65.2
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art: the museum's own open data · fetched 6 days ago
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
Meanwhile, in the life of Fernand Léger
The whole lifeDecember 1919
Marriage to Jeanne Lohy
In December 1919 Léger marries Jeanne-Augustine Lohy; she remains his wife until her death in 1950.
1920
Friendship with Le Corbusier, “The Mechanic” and “The Great Lunch”
In 1920, at the founding of the journal “L'Esprit nouveau”, Léger befriends Le Corbusier, who remains a lifelong friend. In the same year he paints the canvases “The Mechanic” and “The Great Lunch”, and from this year he exhibits at the Indépendants for many years.
1921
Meeting van Doesburg and Mondrian
In 1921 Léger meets van Doesburg and Mondrian.
1921
Gance's “La Roue” and Malraux's “Lunes en papier”
In 1921, together with Blaise Cendrars, Léger works on Abel Gance's film “La Roue” and illustrates André Malraux's book “Lunes en papier”. He is so drawn to cinema that he considers for a time giving up painting for filmmaking.
1922
The death of his mother
In 1922 Léger's mother, Marie Adèle Dunon, dies; she had lived on her farm in Lisores until her death.
1922–1924
Stage and screen: the Swedish Ballet and “L'Inhumaine”
In 1922 Léger designs sets, costumes and the curtain for “Skating Rink” (music by Milhaud) for Rolf de Maré's Swedish Ballet, and in 1923 for the ballet “La Création du monde” (Milhaud, libretto by Cendrars). In 1923–24 he designs the laboratory set for Marcel L'Herbier's film “L'Inhumaine”.
