- 144
Marc Chagall
Description
- Marc Chagall
- Le Vase bleu aux deux corbeilles de fruits
- Signed Marc Chagall (lower right); signed Marc Chagall (on the reverse)
- Oil on canvas
- 14 7/8 by 24 in.
- 37.6 by 60.9 cm
Provenance
Mr. Josef Rosensaft, New York
Acquavella Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above in 1968
Literature
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.
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
The composition is dominated by the vibrant energy of the magnificent still life in the foreground, allowing a double figure of lovers in the upper right corner to peacefully emerge from the soft, dreamlike atmosphere that pervades the rest of the canvas. Brides and grooms are a recurring theme within Chagall’s oeuvre throughout the span of his eighty-year career, and are often depicted as they are in the present work: the groom tenderly wraps his arms around his bride whose white dress, veil and flowers imply a certain innocence and purity. Chagall’s happy and powerful relationship with his first wife Bella had a great influence on his life and artistic career. The lovers and devoted souls connected in matrimony that appear frequently in Chagall’s works are inspired by his deep love for Bella, and often represent his own relationship. In fact, the motif of bouquets is also linked to Bella and their time spent together in France, as noted by Susan Tumarkin Goodman and Kenneth E. Silver: “His wife, Bella, brought home lavish bouquets from the markets, which Chagall transformed into lyrical expressions of joy. These are not traditional still lifes; rather, the bunches of blooms, enlarged out of all proportion, capture the spirit of nature, or perhaps the spirit of France and of Bella" (Susan Tumarkin Goodman & Kenneth E. Silver, Chagall: Love, War and Exile (exhibition catalogue), The Jewish Museum, New York, 2013-14, p. 25). This romantic still life is a celebration of the beauty and energy that Chagall discovered within the surroundings of the South of France, and assimilates several of his favorite motifs amidst the characteristically dreamlike setting that he skilfully conjures.