The work is signed FLéger, titled Verdun and dated 1916 (upper left). 

During the World War I, Leger served in the artillery troops – where, as a true artist, he found his inspiration – he was impressed by the brilliance of metal guns shining in the sun. As the artist himself writes: "the breech of the cannon, the sun beating down, the rawness of the object itself. That's where I was formed."

At the World War I, Fernand Leger did not have the opportunity to seriously paint, but he did a lot of sketches. He drew on small pieces of paper – on everything that came to hand. It was important for the artist to capture all the terrifying and shocking details of the war, which he interpreted as a collective killing machine.

Provenance

Sale: Zurich, Koller AG, June 24, 2003

Private collection, Italy (acquired at the above sale) 

Present owner- private collection (acquired at the Sotheby's, Paris, 2018)