Portrait of Andre Mare

French artist Fernand Léger created this portrait of André Mare in 1901, early in his artistic development before he became a leading figure in Cubism. The sketch and study measures 24 by 18 centimeters and shows Léger exploring portraiture in a style that would soon give way to his distinctive mechanical aesthetic.

André Mare (1885-1932) was a French artist and designer who would later collaborate with Louis Süe on furniture and interior design projects. The two artists knew each other from their early years, and this portrait captures Mare before his work in the Art Deco movement brought him recognition.

The painting hangs at the Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot, France. This museum, dedicated to Léger's work, provides context for understanding how his early portraits relate to his later abstract and figurative compositions featuring tubular, machine-like forms.