- 119
Marc Chagall
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
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Description
- Marc Chagall
- Nu couché
- Signed compliments Chagall's and dated 930 (lower left); addressed to Madame M Coquiat, Paris (on the verso)
- Pen and ink on a postcard from the Hotel am Zoo, Berlin
- 4 1/4 by 5 7/8 in.
- 10.8 by 14.9 cm
Provenance
Madame M. Coquiot, Paris (possibly the widow of the art critic and collector Gustave Coquiot)
Comtesse Claudia de Maistre, Paris
Acquired from the above on April 21, 1967
Comtesse Claudia de Maistre, Paris
Acquired from the above on April 21, 1967
Condition
Executed on a postcard (cream wove paper) the sheet is hinged to a double-sided window mat along the upper corners on verso. The verso is visible and retains the original postage stamp. There are a few scattered stains and a discolored area which corresponds to the shape of the postage stamp. There are minimal soft creases along the edges and one pin dot repair near the center of the composition. Slight foxing is present. Overall, the work is in 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.
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.
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
Chagall's spectacular works of the 1930s are known for their free-association of symbolic imagery and their engaging depiction of fantastic spectacles. Specific narratives are rare in these pictures, and scenes of flowers and lovers simply serve as indicators of happy times. Throughout his life, Marc Chagall continually returned to themes that held the most potent artistic inspiration for him. The present work, Nu couchée, drawn on one side of a postcard, features a striking example of some of Chagall’s most celebrated artistic motifs, lovers and flowers.
The nude seems to float above the couch, wearing flowers in her hair. More flowers hover on the right of the picture plane. These themes stemmed from real life—his life—but he was never confined to recreating natural life on paper. Unlike Dalí or Magritte, whose Surrealist compositions depicted the fantastical and often shocking elements of dreams, Chagall acknowledges the intensely private and personal characteristics of dreams in a way that is universally recognizable. It is his masterful ability to evoke an atmosphere that renders his works so eternally captivating.