Marc Chagall

Herbert von Garvens-Garvensburg, Hanover (acquired from the artist)

J.B. Neumann, New York

Helen McMahon Brady Cutting, New York & New Jersey (acquired before 1940)

Thence by descent to the present owner

Franz Meyer, Marc Chagall, Life and Work, New York, 1961, no. 155, illustrated

Very good condition overall. The work is hinged on 4 corners on the verso. The paper shows very slight fading and some very mild undulations caused by time and age. There are creases to the upper right corner where the work has been remounted. A vintage water mark can be seen in the lower left quadrant and center right edge which is not disturbing to the eye. The medium is well-preserved, and the colors are bright and fresh.
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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Les Trois acrobates is one of Chagall's earliest interpretations of a theme that would come to dominate his career. Chagall's fascination with the circus dates back to his early trips to Paris, where he often visited the well-known Cirque Médrano, located in the 11th arrondissement on the edge of Montmartre, and the Cirque d’hiver. Chagall drew creative energy from watching the performances, infatuated by the pageantry. According to Franz Meyer, Les Trois acrobates is the first recorded work where Chagall addressed this seminal subject, and he returned to this composition in a significant oil painting of 1926. 

Lionello Venturi explained of the significance of this subject to the artist, "The importance of the circus motif in modern French literature and painting is well known; in painting it suffices to recall the names of Seurat and Rouault. As always, Chagall's images of circus people... are at once burlesque and tender. Their perspective of sentiment, their fantastic forms, suggest that the painter is amusing himself in a freer mood than usual; and the result is eloquent of the unmistakable purity flowing from Chagall's heart. These circus scenes are mature realizations of earlier dreams" (Lionello Venturi, Marc Chagall, New York, 1945, p. 39).

The present composition came into the possession of J.B. Neumann (1887-1961), the German art dealer who relocated to New York in 1923 and established the New Art Circle Gallery. It was later acquired by New York socialite Helen McMahon Brady Cutting. A classic American beauty and a fearless traveler, Helen McMahon Brady Cutting was an extraordinary figure in New York society of the early twentieth century. In 1913, the Long Island native was crowned the American Girl of Today by The Times. This caught the attention of her first husband, American financier, philanthropist and sportsman, James Cox Brady. The two settled down in their iconic townhouse, No. 10 east 76th street, just off of Central Park. Following the death of her first husband, Helen McMahon Brady married a distinguished explorer, big-game hunter and Trustee of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Charles Suydam Cutting. The two were avid travelers, exploring countries like Tanzania and Tibet together, and in 1937 Helen was noted as the first American woman to visit Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Throughout her lifetime, Helen McMahon Brady Cutting arranged a beautiful collection ranging from European avant-garde to American works that demonstrated her love for adventure and an eye for quality. Chagall’s Les Trois acrobates has remained in her family’s collection for over 75 years.