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Fernand Léger (French, 1881–1955). Unique work.
Matinée d’ivresse (Morning of Intoxication), from Les Illuminations, 1948
• Unique hand-colored color trial (“Essai de couleur”)
• Lithograph with hand-applied pochoir (stencil) in pink watercolor on Lana paper
• Sight: 12¼ × 9¼ in (31.1 × 23.5 cm)
• Framed: 17¾ × 14¾ in (45.1 × 37.5 cm)
• Signed and inscribed in pencil along the lower edge by Fernand Léger himself
• Published by Grosclaude, Éditions de Gaules, Lausanne
• Printed by Roth & Sauter, Lausanne
Provenance:
• From the Collection of the Estates of Larry Saphire and Marie-Madeleine Saphire
• Heritage Auctions
Larry Saphire was a renowned art historian and print scholar, best known as the author of the catalogue raisonnés of the prints of Fernand Léger and André Masson. His distinguished collection reflected deep expertise and an exceptional eye for the subtleties of modern printmaking.
Description:
This striking work is a unique hand-colored color proof (Essai de couleur), personally enhanced by Fernand Léger with hand-applied pochoir (stencil) in pink watercolor. While the regular edition of 395 impressions was identically colored using the pochoir technique, this particular sheet features a distinctive pattern unique to this example, applied by the artist himself.
A particularly notable feature of this unique proof is the inscription “Voici le temps des Assassins”, executed in Léger’s bold, rhythmic, and immediately recognizable graphic style. This line is the closing phrase of Arthur Rimbaud’s poem Matinée d’ivresse from Illuminations (1886):
«Petite veille d'ivresse, sainte ! quand ce ne serait que pour le masque dont tu nous as gratifié. Nous t'affirmons, méthode ! Nous n'oublions pas que tu as glorifié hier chacun de nos âges. Nous avons foi au poison. Nous savons donner notre vie tout entière tous les jours.
Voici le temps des Assassins.»
(Translation: “Little vigil of intoxication, holy! Even if only for the mask you have granted us. We affirm you, method! We do not forget that you glorified each of our ages yesterday. We have faith in poison. We know how to give our whole life every day.
Here comes the time of the Assassins.”)
By incorporating this line directly into the composition, Léger transforms Rimbaud’s poetic intensity into a visual rhythm of shapes and letters, integrating literary content with the dynamic energy of his mature style. The inscription is not merely text; it becomes part of the visual architecture of the work, echoing the hallucinatory, fragmented, and modernist qualities of the poem.
A museum-worthy rarity, this unique proof unites the precision of Léger’s graphic design with the immediacy of his painterly touch — a remarkable intersection of printmaking, literary engagement, and personal expression.
Literature:
Saphire, Fernand Léger: The Complete Graphic Work, No. 31.
Condition Report:
Noticeable overall toning to the sheet with scattered minor foxing. Matted and framed under glass, not examined outside the frame. Framed dimensions 17¾ × 14¾ in.
