Marc Chagall

Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York (acquired from the artist)
Acquired from the above by the present owners in the 1980s

In excellent condition. There is very slight rubbing to the white ground along the extreme left edge, due to previous frame abrasion. The work is very slightly dirty in a few small scattered areas. The reverse of the board has several small areas of missing white paint, mostly along the edges and some minor surface dirt. Under UV: No inpainting is apparent.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Chagall found endless pleasure in depicting the visual splendor of the circus in his paintings and some of his most important works are fantastical depictions that exaggerate the pageantry of these performances. The subject carried special significance to artists working at the turn of the last century, such as Seurat and Toulouse-Lautrec. The richness of color and movement, captured by Chagall in Cirque sur fond clair, offered an unmatched vivacity to the modern artist. Chagall's fascination with the subject dates back to his childhood in Vitebsk and his years in Paris when he would frequent the circus with the dealer Ambroise Vollard. Lionello Venturi writes, "The importance of the circus motif in modern French literature and painting is well known; in painting it suffices to recall the names of Seurat and Rouault. As always, Chagall's imags of circus people... are at once burlesque and tender. Their perspective of sentiment, their fantastic forms, suggest that the painter is amusing himself in a freer mood than usual; and the result is eloquent of the unmistakable purity flowing from Chagall's heart. These circus scenes are mature realizations of earlier dreams" (Lionello Venturi, Marc Chagall, New York, 1945, p. 39).