Plate (folio 14 verso) from La Fin du monde filmée par l'ange de N.-D. (The End of the World Filmed by the Angel of Notre Dame)

Plate (folio 14 verso) from La Fin du monde filmée par l'ange de N.-D. (The End of the World Filmed by the Angel of Notre Dame) is a significant example of the illustrated book genre, created by Fernand Léger in 1919. This work represents a crucial phase in Léger’s exploration of mechanical forms and abstract typography within early French Modernism. The technique utilized is complex, involving line block printing combined with the sophisticated process of pochoir, or stenciling.

The complete illustrated book, a landmark achievement in early graphic design, comprised twenty-two individual pochoirs, including six that were combined with line block plates, in addition to two line blocks utilized for the front and back covers. This complex printing method allowed Léger, working in a highly experimental French artistic environment immediately following World War I, to apply flat, intense fields of saturated color with precision. This vibrant color application complements the bold black outlines characteristic of the printed line block plates.

Dating from 1919, the overall project captured the era's fascination with cinema, mass media, and the burgeoning machine aesthetic that characterized the European avant-garde. Léger’s graphic style here is defined by hard-edged geometric forms and the dynamic juxtaposition of text with mechanical or abstract shapes, transforming the act of illustration into a visual manifesto of industrial modernity. The book’s paradoxical title—the end of the world visualized through the new medium of film—underscored the revolutionary nature of the project.

This specific folio plate, along with the other original prints from the volume, is recognized as a foundational work of modern art printing. While many fine art reproductions and prints are available from this period, the original illustrated book remains a rare and important document reflecting the early 20th century shift toward mass culture. This exceptional piece, classified as an Illustrated Book, is currently held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.