Cirque (Circus)

1948

The Congress of Intellectuals in Wrocław

In 1948 Léger travels to Poland for the World Congress of Intellectuals in Defence of Peace in Wrocław. In the same year he designs sets for Prokofiev's ballet “Le Pas d'acier” staged by Serge Lifar and, with his students, decorates the premises for the International Women's Congress in Paris.

1949

A retrospective at the National Museum of Modern Art

In 1949 a retrospective exhibition of Léger's work is held at the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris.

1949

First ceramics at Biot with Roland Brice

In 1949, together with Roland Brice, Léger makes his first ceramic works at Biot; in 1950 he sets up a ceramics workshop there.

1949

The album “Cirque” for Tériade

In 1949 Léger writes the text and makes the drawings for the album “Cirque”, published by Tériade; he also illustrates Rimbaud's “Illuminations” and designs sets and costumes for Milhaud's opera “Bolivar”.

1952

The 26th Venice Biennale

In 1952 Léger takes part in the 26th Venice Biennale. In April he has an exhibition and gives a lecture at the Kunsthalle in Bern, and there are exhibitions at Paris galleries and at Sidney Janis's gallery in New York.

21 February 1952

Marriage to Nadia Khodossevitch and a home in Gif-sur-Yvette

On 21 February 1952 Léger marries Nadia Khodossevitch, a cousin of the poet, who had been a student of his Academy since 1924 and later its assistant. They settle in the Gros-Tilleul quarter of Gif-sur-Yvette.