Le Vase

Fernand Leger first intended to print Le Vase using only primary colors, with black ink to provide outlines and shading. The non-primary colors, the green and brown which form and frame the vase, were to be made by combining the primary colors: printing yellow over blue and red over yellow respectively. After several attempts Leger decided that the printing of the brown in this fashion proved too complicated, and so the brown became a pre-mixed color. The green however remained a combination of inks created during printing. Due to this fact, each impression of Le Vase varies: some show a green with darker areas where the blue dominates; in others the yellow shows through to create a lighter tone. The present example is an exceptionally vibrant example of this process.