Marc Chagall

Private Collection, Switzerland (acquired by the 1990s)
Thence by descent to the present owners

Oil on canvasboard. There do not appear to be any signs of retouching visible under UV light. This work appears to be in overall very good condition.
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Featuring many of Marc Chagall’s most celebrated motifs Le violoniste au soleil rouge is a testament to the importance of the artist’s mature œuvre. Executed in 1978-80, this was a period of contentment in the artist’s creative and personal life, which is reflected through various aspects of the composition.  Chagall settled on the Côte d’Azur in the 1950s, after many years of travelling around Europe and this influence is still evident in his work several decades later. His fascination with the unique intensity of light, colour and landscape in the region is palpable. The glowing palette of Le Violoniste au soleil rouge references the intensity of Mediterranean colours and light, with a rich blue drawing the viewer’s eye to the low rise of houses featured in the background. This is juxtaposed by the image of the goat which dominates the right hand side of the composition. A symbol of his humble, rural beginnings in Vitebsk, Belarus, this succeeds in reminding us that the artist’s identity was still very much defined by his Russian beginnings.

The inclusion of two lovers passionately embracing lends the work a wonderfully romantic atmosphere. The woman in virginal white serves as an ode to Chagall’s first wife Bella, but also conveys the artist’s happiness with his wife Valentina Brodsky, affectionately referred to as Vava, whom he married in 1952. The female figure is painted with general features as a symbol of purity and ideal womanhood – an undoubtable celebration of family life and love from the artist. Hovering above the scene, the musician also serves as a powerful symbol of rural Russian life, belonging to the world of street performers and circus entertainment from the artist’s childhood in Belarus. The floating violinist imbues the scene with a sense of idyllic harmony, serenading the different aspects of the composition into a coherent whole. The peaceful red glow of a slowly setting sun absorbs the viewer into the canvas, allowing us to bask in the tranquil warmth of the composition. Ultimately Le violoniste au soleil rouge serves as an eloquent example of Chagall’s personal contentment towards the end of his career, as memories of the artist’s Russian heritage entwine serenely with symbols of his long adopted home in France.