Marc Chagall

Sale: Christie's, New York, 15th May 1986, lot 214
Private Collection (sale: Christie's, London, 5th February 2004, lot 381)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, and T-hinged to the mount in two places along the upper edge. The upper and lower edges are deckled. The sheet is very gently undulating in places due to the thick application of medium. There are some very fine lines of paint shrinkage in areas of the thicker pigment. The colours are bright and fresh. Overall this work is in very good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Le Prétendant is a bold and effervescent composition which features some of Chagall’s most emblematic motifs and serves as an exquisite example of the artist’s creative maturity and contentment. Executed in 1972, the present work stems from a time when the artist was feeling happily nostalgic for his past while enjoying the joyful and tranquil life he had made for himself in Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

At the heart of the composition is an exuberant bouquet of flowers, dominated by both rich green foliage and a dazzling array of jewel-like flowers, which is proffered by a male figure who could be the image of the artist himself as a young man. The association of flowers and love was a constant theme in Chagall’s œuvre and can be traced throughout his earliest work. Indeed, flowers had a special significance for Chagall, as André Verdet explains: ‘Marc Chagall loved flowers. He delighted in their aroma, in contemplating their colors. For a long time, certainly after 1948 when he moved for good to the South of France after his wartime stay in the U.S., there were always flowers in his studio. In his work bouquets of flowers held a special place… Usually they created a sense of joy, but they could also reflect the melancholy of memories’ (quoted in J. Baal-Teshuva, ed., Chagall: A Retrospective, Fairfield, 1995, p. 347). In the present work, the intended recipient of this magnificent bouquet appears at lower left. Veiled in white, she is the picture of innocence and serenity.