Fernand Léger
L'Homme à la canne [Man with a Cane]

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Artist Fernand Léger (French, 1881–1955)French, 1881–1955

CultureFrench

Titles

L'Homme à la canne [Man with a Cane]

Date1920

PlaceFrance

MediumOil on canvas

DimensionsCanvas: 36 1/4 × 25 1/2 in. (92.1 × 64.8 cm)
Frame: 45 1/2 × 35 in. (115.6 × 88.9 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard

Object number84.197

Current Location

The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building

Gallery 203

On view

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Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Object Type

PAINTING

DescriptionAs World War I changed the course of history,
it also had a profound effect on the Paris art
world. For artists like Fernand Léger, who had
fought in the trenches, the adventure of pure
abstraction became less meaningful, and he
returned to Paris resolved “to never let go of
objects again.” Man with a Cane epitomizes
the new spirit of his postwar paintings. Part
machine, part human, the central figure is
embedded in a brightly colored, syncopated
environment, the embodiment of Jazz
Age urbanity.
ProvenanceCollection Bourdon, Paris; [Galerie Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland, until January 22, 1969]; Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, Jr., Far Hills, New Jersey, January 22, 1969–June 14, 1984; given to MFAH, 1984.
Exhibition History"Fernand Léger," Gimpel Fils, London, June 22–Aug 14, 1965.

"Direction and Diversity: Twentieth Century Art in the Museum Collection,” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, May 21–September 3, 1988.

"Fernand Léger 1911-1924: Le Rythme de la Via Moderne," Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany, May 29–August 14, 1994; Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland, September 11–November 27, 1994.

"Fernand Léger," Centre Georges Pompidou, Musée National d'art Moderne, Paris, May 29–September 29, 1997; The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, October 28, 1997–January 12, 1998.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Inscription: Inscribed on verso at center top: "Homme à la Canne/ et. definitif/ F. Leger/ 20" Back board has the following labels: "Gimpel Fils Gallery, London (June-July 1965)" "Svensk - Fraska Konstgalleriet" "Galerie Beyeler, Basel" "Bernard Rabin Conservationist Waxed Lined Sept 1970"

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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