146 - Fernand LEGER (Argentan 1881–Gif-sur-Yvette 1955)

Fernand LEGER (Argentan 1881–Gif-sur-Yvette 1955) Costume design for the play *The Death of Marat* Ink and pencil on both sides of blue paper 25.5 x 19.5 cm (image size) Monogram stamp in the lower right corner, reading “FL” Bears handwritten annotations on the reverse: I, the undersigned, Nadia Leger, certify that this drawing, NB 215-2, is an authentic work by Fernand Léger. Nadia Léger A certificate of authenticity from the Fernand Léger Committee may be provided at the purchaser’s expense Bibliography: Fernand Léger and the Performing Arts, [exhibition, Fernand Léger National Museum, Biot, Alpes-Maritimes, June 30–October 2, 1995], Paris, RMN, 1995, reproduced on page 133 In 1939, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the French Revolution, Fernand Léger collaborated with composer Darius Milhaud on a performance project titled *L’Ami du peuple ou la Mort de Marat*. Intended for presentation to the Organizing Committee for the festivities, this production combined music, set design, and the visual arts, with Léger taking charge of the set and costume design. The drawing presented here bears witness to this collaboration and to the artist’s interest in the visual possibilities offered by the performing arts. By taking on the figure of Jean-Paul Marat, Léger revisits one of the great icons of French revolutionary history, immortalized by Jacques-Louis David in his famous 1793 painting *The Death of Marat*. Far from seeking a historical reconstruction or academic realism, he transposes this reference into his own aesthetic vocabulary, based on the geometrization of forms, the sharpness of contours, and the power of contrasts. This dialogue with the classical tradition would find a remarkable extension in *Les Loisirs – Hommage à Louis David* (1948–1949), now housed at the Centre Pompidou, where the pose of a female figure directly echoes that of David’s *Marat*. This project is part of Léger’s broader exploration of a monumental, collective, and accessible art form, intended to transcend the traditional framework of easel painting. Through this theatrical proposal, he affirms his desire to foster a dialogue between artistic disciplines and to place his modern language at the service of a shared historical narrative. This drawing thus serves as a valuable testament to the way in which the artist reinterprets the great figures of the past to situate them within a resolutely contemporary aesthetic.