Fernand Leger

Fernand Leger was born in Argentan, France in 1881 and died in 1955. After studying in a variety of fields, he later enrolled at the Acdemie Julian and the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs and ‘hung around’ the Ecole des Beaux Arts Academy, studying with Jean Leon Gerome. Throughout his years of studying he was influenced by the impressionist style, but unhappy with his work a he destroyed most of his paintings. After viewing works by Cézanne at the Salon d’Automne in 1907, he adopted the use of cubism and by 1910 he became affiliated with Puteaux Group. Influenced by Le Corbusier, in 1925 he created complex works of art and became affiliated with the Purist Movement and the aesthetics of machines. He would later teach at Yale University and Mills College before returning to France where he created a mosaic for the facade of the church at Assy; in 1950, he founded a ceramics studio at Biot, which in 1957, became the Leger Museum; in 1951; he completed windows for the church at Ardincourt; and in 1954, he did windows for the University at Caracas.