MARC CHAGALL | Le Grand bouquet

Galerie Rosengart, Lucerne 
Acquired from the above in 1950

This work is in very good condition. Executed on cream wove paper. The work is hinged to a window mat at three places along the upper edge. There is a mat stain to the left, right and upper edges and some slight creasing to the upper left corner. There is a slight wave to the paper that is inherent to the medium. Remnants of an adhesive are present on the perimeter of the verso, likely due to a previous mount.
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.

Le Grand bouquet, executed in 1950, highlights how Chagall allowed his imagination to govern the paintbrush, presenting the viewer with various uses of perspectives in form and color. The subject of colorful bouquets of flowers captivated Chagall since the late 1920s, and indeed it is a theme he explored seemingly without end in his oeuvre. In 1924, while in Toulon in the South of France, the artist first began to admire the charm of flowers; he later claimed (perhaps misleadingly) that he had not known of flowers in Russia, and they came to represent France for him. Writing about the subject of flowers in Chagall’s work, Franz Meyer comments, "Many are simple still lifes with a bunch of red roses and white lilacs; in others, pairs of lovers and air-borne fiddlers gambol through space. The atmosphere encompasses and pervades the flowers like a magically light airy fluid, vibrant with their vitality" (Franz Meyer, Marc Chagall, New York, 1963, p. 369).

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