Lot 396
  • 396

MARC CHAGALL | Nu au cyclamen, Gstaad

Estimate
400,000 - 600,000 USD
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Description

  • Marc Chagall
  • Nu au cyclamen, Gstaad
  • Signed Chagall Marc (lower right)
  • Gouache, pastel, crayon and brush and ink on paper
  • 25 1/8 by 19 3/4 in.
  • 63.8 by 50.4 cm
  • Executed in 1971.

Provenance

Private Collection, New York (acquired circa 1975)
Private Collection, New York (by descent from the above and sold: Christie's, New York, May 5, 2011, lot 173)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Exhibited

New York, Pierre Matisse Gallery, Marc Chagall, Paintings and Gouaches, 1972, no. 12, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Condition

The work is in very good condition. Executed on buff-colored wove paper. All four edges of the sheet are deckled. The work is hinged to a mount at multiple places along the perimeter of its verso. The pigments are bright and fresh. There is a slight wave to the paper inherent to the medium. The sheet is lightly time stained along all four edges, likely due to a prior mounting.
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.

Catalogue Note

In Nu au cyclamen, Gstaad Chagall revisits the theme of romance, depicting a beautiful interior with lovers humbled in the presence of their passion for each other. During the early 1970s, Chagall was based in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, which became his permanent home until his death. Gstaad, a town in the Swiss Alps, served as a picturesque escape from the bustle of an urban ambience. The snow-covered Alps appear in the window of Nu au cyclamen, Gstaad, offset by the pot of white flowers near the lower right corner.

André Verdet writes of Chagall’s relationship to flowers: “Marc Chagall loved flowers. He delighted in their aroma, in contemplating their colours... There were always flowers in his studio. In his work bouquets of flowers held a special place... Usually they created a sense of joy, but they could also reflect the melancholy of memories” (quoted in Jacob Baal-Teshuva, ed., Chagall: A Retrospective, Fairfield, 1995, p. 347).  Romance is a recurring theme within Chagall’s oeuvre and is often a reference to Chagall’s first wife, Bella. Although Bella unexpectedly passed away in 1944, she continued serve as Chagall’s primary muse. When Chagall married Bella, he was met with hesitancy from Bella’s family who preferred that she marry someone with more stable income. Their relationship was special as it represents the true expression of love—the willingness to cross societal norms for lifelong affection. The passion between the lovers depicted in Nu au cyclamen, Gstaad is representative of that special love—one which followed him wherever he traveled (see fig. 1).



The authenticity of this work has kindly been confirmed by the Comité Chagall.