This striking original 1955 exhibition poster was created by Fernand Léger himself to promote a major retrospective of his work at the Musée de Lyon. The show, which ran from June 28 to September 30, 1955, was part of the larger Festival Lyon-Charbonnières, a cultural initiative designed to celebrate and showcase contemporary art, music, and performance in the Rhône-Alpes region of France.
Bold and unmistakably modern, the design reflects Léger’s distinctive visual language—thick black outlines, simplified forms, and flat, vibrant planes of color. The poster depicts two figures seated in a relaxed, almost pastoral setting. One, rendered in rich red, cradles a stylized flower, while the other, in softer tones, wears a yellow jacket and straw hat. The abstracted background hints at nature, yet the composition remains playfully geometric and energetic. A signature red circle anchors the layout, contrasting sharply with sky-blue and lemon-yellow blocks in the center.
Signed “FLEGER.55” in the lower right, this piece encapsulates Léger’s mature style—where figuration, abstraction, and bold color coalesce to create a sense of movement and human connection. It is both a celebration of his work and an artwork in its own right.
Fernand Léger (1881–1955), a major figure of the 20th-century avant-garde, began as a Cubist before developing his own unique idiom that embraced industrial forms, social themes, and the democratization of art. He was fascinated by modern life and sought to bring art into everyday experience—through murals, ceramics, and posters like this one.
Today, this poster is a sought-after collector's item—a visual testimony to Léger’s enduring influence and his belief that art should live in the public realm.
Exhibition - Cubism - Lyon museum
Mourlot Paris
Good condition, a small tear at the bottom
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