Marc Chagall

Private Collection, Japan

Executed on cream-colored laid paper laid down on paper mounted on panel. The edges are deckled. The colors are extremely fresh and vibrant. There are a couple minor nicks to the extreme edges. The 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.
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.

Like Matisse, Chagall resided in Saint-Paul-de-Vence (from 1950 onward) and sought to capture the splendor and luminosity of this town by the Côte d'Azur 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 color 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).

By this point in his life, Chagall enjoyed much international success and recognition. Les Deux bouquets represents the artist's tranquil disposition and the beauty that he found in his surroundings. The flowers of the bouquet are magnificently oversized compared with the figures, which conveys to the viewer a sense of abundance and whimsy, while the thickly applied electric red, pink and yellow pigments of the petals gives the work a brilliant energy. Particularly striking in this work is the contrast of the thick impasto and deeply saturated colors of the bouquet with the lighter tones of the thinly brushed background from which the floating figures emerge.