“Chagall’s genius sprang from the fertile soil of Vitebsk, in Czarist White Russia, and was nurtured in the glow of the “Paris light,” soared against the background of the world events of his lifetime, and, enriched by a deeply spiritual awareness, matured into a magnificent expression of his dreams, fantasy, and poetry in images that cause even the most earthbound observer to be transported into the dizzying realm of color and form.”
An exuberant example of Marc Chagall’s mature work, Rencontre marries Marc Chagall’s distinctive style with some of his most iconic motifs. The presence of the rooster, articulated in a vibrant red, combined with the winged angels and the effusive bouquets of flowers are testament to the artist’s unique artistic vision. The artist’s presence is felt not only in the manner in which he paints the present scene, but also in the element of self-portraiture, visible in the character in the upper right of the composition. The artist often inserted his presence into his works and here, whilst not overtly identifying himself, Chagall paints his portrait as he appeared as younger man, offering a bouquet to a mythical figure who recalls the romantic wedding scenes the artist painted of Bella, his first wife, or Vava, his second. In Rencontre, Chagall oscillates between mediums, his handling reflective of a spontaneity and freedom of expression that heightens the vitality of the scene. The resulting composition is a lyrical dreamscape that reaffirms Chagall’s reputation as one of the foremost artists of the 20th century.
Chagall painted Rencontre in 1980 whilst he was living in the French Riviera and the present painting is emblematic of his mature style and the happiness the artist was experiencing. Painted at a time in which the artist was comfortable in his financial stability and reputation as a major figure within modern art, the present painting echoes this level of security and reflects a lifetime of artistic development. In Rencontre, there is a feeling of levity absent in some of his earlier works, that is intensified through the artist’s handling of colour. Chagall departs from backgrounds of dark blue or black, rendering the primary pigment a bright white, which infuses the composition with light and intensifies the sense of optimism. Chagall’s artful application of colour is further evidenced by the outlining of his figures in his characteristic ‘Chagall blue’. Speaking of his prevalence for this colour: “To Chagall, blue was not only a color, it was a state of soul. Blue was the colour of melancholy and nostalgia, the color of longing for his home and his loved ones, especially his fiancée Bella” (J. Baal-Teshuva, ibid., Paris, 1995, p. 27).
Rencontre creates an intimate dialogue with the artist’s earlier works through his incorporation of motifs first developed in his early years. While Chagall famously denied ever intentionally incorporating symbolism in his art, one cannot ignore the fantastical elements present in this work. The rooster, emblematic of love and fantasy, appears, along with the fiddler, to evoke the rich folklore of Vitebsk’s Jewish community. Furthermore, positioned prominently on the right side of the composition, a hybrid figure, part-human and part-animal and often appearing throughout the artist’s compositions, commands focus. This motif draws inspiration from 13th and 14th century Jewish prayer books, where biblical figures are depicted with animal heads. Chagall’s upbringing in the Hasidic tradition profoundly influenced his body of work, evident in the artist’s adept use of them as sources for his most famous motifs. This ethereal gathering of characters from his repertoire imbues the scene with a dreamlike essence, inviting viewers into a realm where memory and imagination unite.