Fernand Léger and the Rooftops of Paris

Between 1909 and 1914, Fernand Léger developed into one of the foremost Cubists. An important role in that development was played by a series of paintings he made in 1911-1912, the so-called Fumées sur les toits (Smoke Over Rooftops). These works depict the view from his Paris studio, where he looked out over rooftops with plumes of smoke drifting above. He seized upon the contrast between soft, ever changing clouds of smoke and hard, angular architectural masses as a means of paving the way to a more abstract and radical artistic language.

Several years ago a previously unknown painting was discovered on the back of a canvas by Léger in the Triton Collection Foundation. That discovery prompted this publication, which also examines the influence exerted on Léger by such artists as Cézanne, Picasso and Braque.

In cooperation with the Triton Collection Foundation and the Kröller-Müller Museum