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

Title 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 piece by the French modernist Fernand Léger, dating to 1919. This piece originates from an illustrated book, an important classification within the development of 20th-century graphic arts, highlighting the artist's engagement with mechanical aesthetics and new forms of publication following World War I. The year 1919 was transitional for many European artists, and Léger, having served on the front lines, increasingly formalized the machine-inspired geometry that defined his Cubist-derived style.

The work is executed using a specialized combination of printmaking techniques: line block and pochoir. The illustrated book from which this piece derives features twenty-two pochoirs in total, with six incorporating a preparatory line block to establish precise forms and contours. Two additional line blocks were used on the front and back covers. The use of the line block provides sharp definition, while the pochoir, a highly controlled stencil process, allows for the application of dense, unmodulated fields of color. This method was highly effective for reproducing the flat planes and simplified geometric volumes characteristic of Léger’s compositions during this period.

The development of the livre d’artiste tradition in France provided artists like Léger a platform to experiment with graphic design and mass reproducibility. The prints in this series emphasize the dynamism and stark contrast found in the machine age, translating complex mechanical forms into potent visual symbols. This specific piece, embodying the spirit of post-war technological optimism, demonstrates Léger’s shift towards the Purist movement, advocating for clarity, structure, and order. The complete illustrated book containing Title from La Fin du monde filmée par l'ange de N.-D. resides within the comprehensive collection of the Museum of Modern Art, serving as a key example of the artist's foundational work in 1919.