Marc Chagall

Galerie Beyeler, Basel

Acquavella Galleries, New York

Basel, Galerie Beyeler, Marc Chagall, 1984-85, no. 23, illustrated in color in the catalogue

New York, The Jewish Museum, The Cirlce of Monparnasse Jewish Artists in Paris 1905-1945, 1985, illustrated in the catalogue (as dating from 1913)

Basel, Galerie Beyeler, Landschaften und Horizonte, 1987, no. 7

New York, Acquavella Galleries, XIX & XX Century Master Paintings & Sculptures, 1988, no. 10, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Angelica Zander Rudenstein, Guggenheim Museum: Paintings, 1880-1945, New York, 1976, illustrated p. 66

Very good condition over all. Executed on buff colored wove paper is mounted onto the canvas and the edges adhered by brown tape. There is a thick layer of varnish on the surface. Few horizontal breaks in the paper on the top with associated losses. Scattered pin dots of loss particularly in the lower left quadrant. Under UV light, 2 spots of inpaitings on upper left.
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.
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This dynamic composition is closely related to Chagall’s early masterpiece of the same title located in the permanent collection of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Paris par la fenêtre is a bold example of Chagall’s mastery of lyrical evocation of dreams, memory and experience translated into pictorial form. As Angelica Zander Rudenstein notes, “The notion (frequently suggested in the literature) that Chagall’s studio actually looked out on the Eiffel Tower is clearly false, since La Ruche (2, Passage de Dantzig) was across the Seine and over a mile away from the Champ de Mars” (A. Rudenstine, The Guggenheim Museum Collection, vol. I, Paintings, 1880-1945, New York: the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1976).

Chagall moved from St. Petersburg to Paris in 1911 as part of a remarkable migration of artists all drawn to the city as the epicenter of the avant-garde.  Symbols of modernity are evident in Chagall’s placement of the Eiffel Tower, an upside-down train and parachuting man. With its themes of technology and innovation, Chagall’s composition  also evidences the prevailing Cubist style heavily influenced by Robert Delaunay.  The double-profile of a man and the inclusion of the floral bouquet, however, are emblems of Chagall 's own style that he would incorporate in his works for the rest of his career.