Marc Chagall

Private Collection (sale: Sotheby's, New York, 6th November 2003, lot 288)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

The canvas is not lined. UV examination reveals no evidence of retouching and this work is in overall 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."

The most captivating quality of Marc Chagall’s work is the unconstructed nature of his compositions. His works abound with weightless figures, animals and flowers in free arrangement, unrestricted by rational space or relationships. In Le Grand Bouquet, two bouquets of flowers dominate the scene, blossoming across the canvas. The artist was first struck by the charm of flowers in Toulon in 1924; he later claimed that he had not known of flowers in Russia, and that they came to represent France for him. In his dream-like paintings, he repeatedly drew from a vocabulary of personal symbolism: when painting a bouquet, it was like painting a landscape of his adopted country.

Chagall depicts the soaring acrobat in the upper right corner flying through the sky over the town, his jump defying gravity. The small town is his beloved St Paul de Vence, where he chose to spend the remainder of his life with his wife, Vava. According to Chagall's biographer Franz Meyer, ‘The light, the vegetation, the rhythm of life all contributed to the rise of a more relaxed airy, sensuous style in which the magic of colour dominates more and more with the passing years. At Vence he witnessed the daily miracle of growth and blossoming in the mild, strong all-pervading light - an experience in which earth and matter had their place' (F. Meyer, Marc Chagall, London, 1964, p. 519). The whimsical amalgamation of these different elements results in a picture full of vibrancy and warmth: an ode to Chagall's peaceful life in St Paul de Vence, where the light and flowers envelop you in a soothing embrace. Le Grand Bouquet is Chagall at his best, where imagination and instinct have governed his paintbrush, and left us a work of immense beauty and charm.