Mise-en-scène for the ballet La Création du monde (The Creation of the World) is a preliminary design executed by Fernand Léger in 1922. This significant drawing, rendered primarily in pencil on paper, documents the French artist’s involvement with the avant-garde Ballets Suédois, illustrating his deep commitment to integrating modern art into theatrical spectacle. The work served as a preparatory visual document for the ambitious ballet, which featured a revolutionary score by Darius Milhaud and a scenario rooted in African mythology as envisioned by writer Blaise Cendrars. This collaboration places the design at the nexus of post-Cubist art, jazz-age culture, and European performance history.
Léger, known for his monumental depictions of simplified forms and machine aesthetics, translated these interests directly into the set design. The composition features the bold, geometric simplification characteristic of his output during the early 1920s. The pencil work efficiently sketches the spatial organization and the proposed scale of the abstract elements that would dominate the stage. Unlike traditional figurative sets, the mise-en-scène for La Création du monde utilized immense, abstracted shapes representing biological and cosmological forms, often interpreted as mechanical stand-ins for human figures. This approach successfully applied the formal rigor of Purism to the ephemeral medium of dance.
This drawing is crucial evidence of Léger’s exploration into applied arts, reflecting his desire to move beyond the traditional canvas and into the realm of public spectacle. The final stage production, which premiered the year after this 1922 drawing was completed, cemented the artist’s reputation as a key figure in modern theatrical design. The original conceptual document is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, serving as a vital reference point for scholars studying European modernism and set design. Today, prints and reproductions derived from this masterwork often circulate, making the influential design principles accessible to the public domain.
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