Marc Chagall

James & Helen K. Copley, La Jolla
Thence by descent

Executed on paper laid down on canvas (which is not lined). There is a slight undulation to the sheet due to the laying down process. A close inspection reveals a small spot of frame abrasion in the center of the upper edge with associated tiny spots of paint-loss. There is a hairline craquelure in the white impasto of one of the central flowers and a faint scratch to the sheet running vertically towards the center of the lower edge (approx. 5cm). Under UV light no signs of retouching are visible, though one of the pink pigments fluoresces red under UV light. Apart from a 0.5cm² spot of paint-loss to the flower in the center of the upper right quadrant, this work is in good original 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.

Throughout his career, Marc Chagall consistently turned to flower painting not as rigorous studies in realism, but rather as expressive evocations of fantasy in their conflation of still-life, narrative motifs, and landscape.  Like Henri Matisse, Chagall resided in Saint-Paul-de-Vence from 1950-1973 and sought to capture the splendor and luminosity of this Côte d'Azur town by experimenting with bold colors and unstructured compositions. 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" (Franz Meyer, Marc Chagall, London, 1964, p. 519). Painted shortly after his arrival there, Le bouquet au verre de vin captures both the verdant environs and the tranquil mood of his life in Saint-Paul-de-Vence with Vava, his beloved muse and wife.