Biot, Fernand Léger National Museum
A few months before his death in 1955, Fernand Léger purchased the St. André farmhouse (Mas St André),
located on the outskirts of the village of Biot. In this horticultural setting, his widow Nadia Léger and his close
confidant Georges Bauquier decided to create a museum as a tribute to Léger and to promote knowledge of
his work. The building was designed by architect André Svetchine, and the park was designed by landscape
artist Henri Fisch. The building features an immense mosaic facade, initially planned by Léger to decorate the
Hanover Stadium (but never completed). An outstanding event inaugurated the Fernand Léger Museum in
Biot on the evening of 13 May 1960. In 1969, the founders donated the building, land, and a rich collection of
more than 300 works to the French government. André Malraux, then Minister of Cultural Affairs, accepted the
donation during an official event that ended with a gala organised in the Festival Palace in Cannes. The Léger
Museum is now a national museum, and under the terms of the donation, the founders will remain directors
for life. After more than half a century, the Fernand Léger National Museum is essential for understanding the
artist’s work.