The rare work Nature Morte (Contraste de formes) will be the top lot of the Tuesday May 13th 2025 modern and contemporary art auction organized by Aste Bolaffi in Turin. It has not appeared on the market since 1962, when it was sold at auction in Milan, achieving an exceptional result for the time. The masterpiece, created in 1913-1914 by French artist Fernand Léger (1881-1955), will be the top lot, with an estimate of 800,000-1.2 million euros.

Along with the other prestigious works that will make up the catalog, it will be exhibited to the public before the auction at the various Bolaffi Group locations in Italy and abroad.

Nature Morte (Contraste de formes) by Ferdinand Léger

Nature Morte (Contraste de formes) dates back to the two-year period in which Léger developed his distinctive interpretation of Cubism, between representation and abstraction, through the celebrated series of the same name, to which the work belongs. Measuring 62.50cm x 45cm, it is signed in pencil at the bottom right and in brush at the bottom left, and is accompanied by authentications from the Fernand Léger Museum in Biot (France) and the Comité Léger in Paris. It also has an export license issued by the Italian Ministry of Culture.

"Contrasts of Forms" is a crucial series for the development of Cubism and the birth of abstract art. Through the juxtaposition of elementary geometric shapes, such as cylinders and blocks, and primary colors, the artist exasperates the Cubist vision, pushing it towards pure abstraction, to represent the frenzy of modern life. With this series, Léger temporarily abandons any representational tendency, focusing on composition.

The museum relevance of the work is evidenced by other works from the same series belonging to the permanent collections of the world's most important museums, including, to name a few, the Guggenheim and MoMA in New York, the National Gallery in Washington, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Tate Modern in London, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid.

Léger's work on auction

Ferdinand Léger's work Nature Morte (Contraste de formes) returns to the market after more than 60 years since its last sale. On May 13th, it will be auctioned by Aste Bolaffi with an estimated value of between 800,000 and 1.2 million euros. Previously, the masterpiece of French Cubism belonged to the famous Milanese collections Frua and Jucker, and in 1962 it was sold by the Jucker family through the Brera auction house (now defunct), achieving an extraordinary figure for the time, with great media attention.