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Lot Essay
This gouache is a study associated with Cirque, the artist's master graphic work published by Tériade in 1950 and representing, alone, half of Léger's print output. The manuscript lithographic text by the artist as well as the illustrations combine and intertwine in a glorious celebration of the freedom and dynamism of the shapes and colours of the world of the circus (see lots 11, 14 and 20).
Together Tériade and Léger likewise collaborated on La ville, conceived as a companion book to Cirque. The completion of this project was tragically interrupted by the death of the artist, and in 1958 La ville, comprised of the 30 lithographs which had already been realized in print form, was printed on the Mourlot presses.
Together Tériade and Léger likewise collaborated on La ville, conceived as a companion book to Cirque. The completion of this project was tragically interrupted by the death of the artist, and in 1958 La ville, comprised of the 30 lithographs which had already been realized in print form, was printed on the Mourlot presses.