The Creation of the World
Fernand Leger
In addition to his paintings, Leger was a prolific artist in many mediums, including stained glass, ceramic sculpture, and set designs. This is a set design is for the ballet The Creation of the World, which premiered in Paris in 1923. The ballet is based on an African creation legend, and Leger’s artistic rendition illustrates the three gods of the ballet, Nzame, Medere and N’kava. According to the legend, the gods oversee the development of the flora and fauna into a coordinated dance. According to the composer of the ballet, Leger was never quite happy with his designs, as he wanted them to be more frightening and less bright.
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