Editing Fernand Léger (section)

==Legacy==
Léger wrote in 1945 that "the ''object'' in modern painting must become the ''main character'' and overthrow the subject. If, in turn, the human form becomes an object, it can considerably liberate possibilities for the modern artist." He elaborated on this idea in his 1949 essay, "How I Conceive the Human Figure", where he wrote that "abstract art came as a complete revelation, and then we were able to consider the human figure as a plastic value, not as a sentimental value. That is why the human figure has remained willfully inexpressive throughout the evolution of my work".<ref>Néret 1993, p. 98.</ref> As the first painter to take as his idiom the imagery of the machine age, and to make the objects of consumer society the subjects of his paintings, Léger has been called a progenitor of [[Pop Art]].<ref>Buck 1982, p. 42.</ref>

He was active as a teacher for many years, first at the [[Académie Vassilieff]] in Paris, then in 1931 at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]], and then developing his own ''[[Académie Fernand Léger]]'', which was in Paris, then at the [[Yale School of Art and Architecture]] (1938–1939), [[Mills College Art Gallery]] in Oakland, California during 1940–1945, before he returned to France.<ref name=RKD>Pupils Fernand Léger in the [[RKD]]</ref> Among his many international pupils were [[Nadir Afonso]], [[Paul Georges]], [[Charlotte Gilbertson]], [[Hananiah Harari]], [[Asger Jorn]], [[Michael Loew]], [[Beverly Pepper]], [[Victor Reinganum]], [[Marcel Mouly]], [[René Margotton]], [[Saloua Raouda Choucair]] and [[Charlotte Wankel]], [[Peter Agostini]], [[Lou Albert-Lasard]], [[Tarsila do Amaral]], [[Arie Aroch]], [[Alma del Banco]], [[Christian Berg]], [[Louise Bourgeois]], [[Marcelle Cahn]], [[Norman Carton]], [[Otto Gustaf Carlsund]], [[Saloua Raouda Choucair]], [[Robert Colescott]], [[Lars Englund]], [[Tsuguharu Foujita]], [[Sam Francis]], [[Serge Gainsbourg]], [[Hans Hartung]], [[Florence Henri]], [[William Klein (photographer)|William Klein]], [[Pinchas Burstein|Maryan]], [[George Lovett Kingsland Morris]], [[Marlow Moss]], [[Aurélie Nemours]], Gerhard Neumann, [[Jules Olitski]], [[Erik Olson]], [[Richard Stankiewicz]], [[Theo Stavropoulos]] and [[Stasys Usinskas]].<ref name=RKD/>

In 1952, a pair of Léger murals was installed in the [[United Nations General Assembly Hall|General Assembly Hall]] of the [[United Nations headquarters]] in New York City.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120715031735/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_n4_v27/ai_9281044/ ''An 'element of inspiration and calm' at UN Headquarters – art in the life of the United Nations''] Retrieved October 13, 2010</ref>

In 1960, the [[Fernand Léger Museum]] was opened in [[Biot, Alpes-Maritimes]], France.

Léger bequeathed his residence (at 108 Avenue du General Leclerc, Gif sur Yvette, Paris) to the [[French Communist Party]], which later hosted negotiations of the [[Paris Peace Accords]] between the [[United States]], [[Democratic Republic of Vietnam]], [[Republic of Vietnam]] and the [[Republic of South Vietnam]]<ref>[https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v09/ch1 ''Breakthrough in Paris Blocked in Saigon, October 8–23, 1972''] Retrieved December 11, 2021</ref>

In May 2008, his painting ''Étude pour la femme en bleu'' (1912–13) sold for $39,241,000 ([[hammer price]] with [[buyer's premium]]) [[United States dollar]]s.<ref>[http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2008/impressionist-modern-art-evening-sale-n08437/lot.16.html ''Étude Pour la Femme En Bleu'', record price at public auction, Sotheby's New York, 7 May 2008]</ref>

In August 2008, one of Léger's paintings owned by [[Wellesley College]]'s [[Davis Museum and Cultural Center]], ''Mother and Child'', was reported missing. It is believed to have disappeared some time between April 9, 2007, and November 19, 2007. A $100,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the safe return of the painting.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/08/27/a_masterwork_goes_missing/?page=1  Geoff Edgers, ''A masterwork goes missing'', The Boston Globe, August 27, 2008]</ref>

Léger's work was featured in the exhibition "Léger: Modern Art and the Metropolis" from October 14, 2013, through January 5, 2014, at the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]].<ref>[[Philadelphia Museum of Art]]</ref>

In 2022, it was announced that a lost painting of the rooftop series was discovered on the opposite side of the painting ''Bastille Day''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Solomon |first=Tessa |date=2022-10-12 |title=Lost Fernand Léger Painting Reappears After 100 Years Behind Another Canvas |url=https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/lost-fernand-leger-painting-discovered-1234642843/ |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=ARTnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>