ticketsMember | Make a donation

Drawing for "The Card Game"

1917
Not on view
Card games were one of the few ways that soldiers could distract themselves from the monotony and misery of their daily lives during World War I. Léger had dug trenches on the frontline, and a sense of his claustrophobic cramped quarters is reflected in this drawing of a tubular machine-man, whose left arm is bent as if holding cards or at least shielding them from view. On December 5, 1917, Léger sold this drawing, along with additional studies and the final oil painting The Card Game (1917; Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo) to his new dealer Léonce Rosenberg. It was Léger’s first major sale since the war had begun.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Drawing for "The Card Game"
  • Artist: Fernand Léger (French, Argentan 1881–1955 Gif-sur-Yvette)
  • Date: 1917
  • Medium: Brush and ink and graphite on paper, mounted on board
  • Dimensions: 20 3/4 x 14 7/8 in. (52.7 x 37.8 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection, Gift of Leonard A. Lauder, 2016
  • Object Number: 2016.237.19
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Six Designs for Abstract Wall Decorations, Fernand Léger French, Graphite and gouache
Six Designs for Abstract Wall Decorations
Fernand Léger
ca. 1940–1955
'Starfish and Swimmers': Design for a Mosaic or Mural, Fernand Léger French, Brush and yellow, red, green and beige wash, and graphite
'Starfish and Swimmers': Design for a Mosaic or Mural
Fernand Léger
ca. 1942
The Bargeman, Fernand Léger French, Oil on canvas
The Bargeman
Fernand Léger
1918
Mechanical Elements, Fernand Léger French, Oil on canvas
Mechanical Elements
Fernand Léger
1920
Rooftops, Fernand Léger French, Ink and opaque watercolor on paper
Rooftops
Fernand Léger
1915

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.