In 1952, Fernand Léger conceived his „Fleur qui Marche“, as a maquette for large size outdoor sculptures. This maquette still exists and is housed in the collections of the Musée National Fernand Léger at Biot, France, as well as the museum cast of the monumental patinated bronze sculpture.
The original concept was created for an architectural project planned by Franco-American architect Paul Nelson, a close friend of Fernand Léger, who asked Léger to work with him on this project creating the artistic decoration program of the building. The building Nelson was about to conceive was the Memorial Hospital of France and the United States (“Hôpital-Mémorial France-États-Unis”) in St. Lô, a city in Northern France. The hospital was intended to be the most modern and progressive medical center in France and Europe, reflecting the French-American friendship, and opened its doors in 1956.
