LEGER FERNAND: (1881-1955) French Painter & Sculptor. A good manuscript D.S., F Leger, and a second time with a ...

LEGER FERNAND: (1881-1955) French Painter & Sculptor. A good manuscript D.S., F Leger, and a second time with a more legible, complete form of his signature ('Fernand Leger') alongside, one page, 8vo, n.p., n.d. (c.50), in French. Leger's document is in the form of a numbered list from 1 - 10 of the titles of the lithographic reproductions for his book Le Cirque, published by Editions Teriade in 1950, and including La Parade, Les deux clowns, Les Cyclists, La Trapeziste, Les Oiseaux etc., concluding with numbers 11 & 12 which Leger instructs should be for text in black and white. With a brief pencil annotation in another hand, possibly that of the publisher, and dated March 1950. About EX Le Cirque, Leger's masterwork in print-making, was published by Teriade in 1950 and represents a magnificent folio of 34 colour and 29 black and white lithographs, considerably more than appear on the present list. In his book Fernand Leger - The Complete Graphic Work (1985) Lawrence Saphire describes La Cirque as the artist's 'master graphic work' and observing 'The text is Léger's own and his themes are the circus and the countryside; from these touchstones of his inspiration Léger extracts the principles of his art and his life. There can be no doubt that Cirque stands as his testament'.