- 13
Marc Chagall
Estimate
300,000 - 500,000 USD
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Description
- Marc Chagall
- Interior of the Ashkenazi Ha'Ari Synagogue, Safed
signed Chagall and dated Palestine 1931 (lower right)
- oil on canvas
- 28 5/8 by 23 1/2 in.
- 72.7 by 60 cm.
Provenance
The artist
with The Gallery of Jewish Art, New York, 1945
Acquired from the above by Max Cottin
Thence by descent to Jack Cottin, son of the above, and his wife Lillian Cottin
Exhibited
Basel, Kunsthalle Basel, Marc Chagall, November 4-December 3, 1933, no. 79 (as Synagoguie de Palestine) or 80 (as Vielle synagogue de Palestine)
New York, Gallery of Jewish Art, Inc., Opening Exhibition, May 2-June 15, 1945, no. 3 in the Synagogue Series, titled Synagogue of Rabbi Joseph Lurie in Safed
New York, Gallery of Jewish Art, Inc., Opening Exhibition, May 2-June 15, 1945, no. 3 in the Synagogue Series, titled Synagogue of Rabbi Joseph Lurie in Safed
Literature
Martin Weyl, 'Chagall's Interior of a Synagogue in Safed', The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1992, pp. 23-30, no. 3, illustrated p. 26
Ziva Amishai-Maisels, 'Chagall in the Holy Land', The Real and Ideal Jerusalem in Jewish, Christian and Islamic Art; Studies in Honor of Bezalel Narkiss on the Occasion of His Seventieth Birthday, The Journal of Jewish Art, vol. 23/24, Jerusalem: Hebrew University, Center for Jewish Art, 1998, pp. 513-542
Condition
This canvas is unlined, somewhat slack in the frame and is pulling slightly at the upper corners. The work has recently been lightly cleaned. The picture surface is in excellent condition aside from some very minor staining along the upper edge towards the center of the work. Under UV, there are no signs of inpainting.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
Property from the Collection of Lillian and Jack Cottin, New York (lots 13 – 22)
Sotheby's is honored to present this group of paintings by Chagall, Moyse and other Jewish artists from the Collection of Lillian and Jack Cottin.
The quest to decode the mystery of three long-forgotten Chagall paintings was a fascinating journey into a little known aspect of his oeuvre. A tantalizing clue to the significance of the paintings was found in a small cache of letters between Chagall and Max Cottin, the father of Jack Cottin, who purchased the paintings at the Gallery of Jewish Art, New York in 1945. The artist clearly cared very deeply for these works. The letters, written in the 1960s and 1970s, contain repeated requests for images. A final letter stated that the artist may want to buy back the paintings, or would consider an exchange; the request was poignantly but firmly declined. In all, only six finished oils of synagogue interiors by Chagall are known. These three are now available to the public for the first time in 66 years.
Copies of the correspondence relating to the Chagall paintings will be provided to the purchasers of these lots.
Sotheby's thanks Dr. Ziva Amishai-Maisels for her essay Chagall's Synagogue "Portraits" (p. 18-19) and her assistance with the cataloguing of these lots.
Sotheby's is honored to present this group of paintings by Chagall, Moyse and other Jewish artists from the Collection of Lillian and Jack Cottin.
The quest to decode the mystery of three long-forgotten Chagall paintings was a fascinating journey into a little known aspect of his oeuvre. A tantalizing clue to the significance of the paintings was found in a small cache of letters between Chagall and Max Cottin, the father of Jack Cottin, who purchased the paintings at the Gallery of Jewish Art, New York in 1945. The artist clearly cared very deeply for these works. The letters, written in the 1960s and 1970s, contain repeated requests for images. A final letter stated that the artist may want to buy back the paintings, or would consider an exchange; the request was poignantly but firmly declined. In all, only six finished oils of synagogue interiors by Chagall are known. These three are now available to the public for the first time in 66 years.
Copies of the correspondence relating to the Chagall paintings will be provided to the purchasers of these lots.
Sotheby's thanks Dr. Ziva Amishai-Maisels for her essay Chagall's Synagogue "Portraits" (p. 18-19) and her assistance with the cataloguing of these lots.