Wright Auction

After World War II, Fernand Léger began to move away from the bas-relief works he had been designing and instead, focused his energy on sculpture. The Walking Flower was one of the first sculptural works he conceived, collaborating on the piece with former student and later ceramist, Roland Brice. Ceramic proved to be an ideal medium for Léger as it provided a resilient surface for his vibrant colors, which were unusual for the material at the time. It also allowed Léger to finally move his works outdoors, a desire he had long harbored. Having created the initial design, he started work on a large-scale version of his buoyant flower for public installation. 

I have the idea of a high polychrome sculpture, massive as hell, with shapes like flames, where the offshore wind could play. We would place it at the edge of the sea, children could pass by, run across it, or spit on it… For a monument that we look at, but a useful and spectacular object in life, and above all no guard around!

While the public monument stands at The Getty Center, the present design is one of only a few small, freestanding sculptures made by the artist and shows a refreshing return to Léger's much-loved motif.