Marc Chagall

Sale: Galerie Kornfeld, 15th June 2007, lot 15
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

The canvas is unlined and there is no evidence of retouching under ultra-violet light. This work is in very good original condition. Colours: In comparison with the printed catalogue illustration, the colours are overall richer and more varied in the original. The blue has a more turquoise tonality, and the orange is deeper and more intense in the original.
"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."

Repos dans le ciel multicolore is a vibrant, startling example of Chagall's unique mastery of colour and composition. In the context of the artist's oeuvre, it is remarkable for its geometrically abstracted ground, against which one identifies a number of Chagall's most iconic themes: the rooftops of his native Vitebsk, the rooster, a bouquet of resplendent blooms and, above all, the lovers. Each is characterised by the use of bold colour areas which, together, animate the canvas surface with a dreamlike sequence that represents Chagall's synthesis of a reality experienced with one imagined. Indeed, as Lionello Venturi remarked, 'Chagall does not descend into his landscape, he views it from afar, as if spellbound, dreaming of love with open eyes' (L. Venturi, quoted in Franz Meyer, Marc Chagall, New York, 1961, p. 381).

 

Chagall has divided the composition into two distinct yet interrelated fields: the celestial realm above the horizon line – presided over by an all-powerful sun – and the terrestrial realm below, which depicts the simple virtues and pleasures of life. The two great aureoles of colour which occupy these realms bring into play the dualities of the artist's chimerical vision: day and night, waking and dreaming, the real and the transcendental. For Chagall, colour is of the greatest significance, for it expresses the most elated yet profound of emotions. Indeed, as Chagall once professed, 'la peinture n'est plus rien d'autre qu'une façon d'aimer' (quoted in Walter Erben, Marc Chagall, London, 1957, p. 123).