MARC CHAGALL | Les Amoureux aux bouquets rouges

Private Collection, Japan (and sold: Sotheby’s, New York, November 13, 1997, lot 467)
Evelyn Aimis Fine Art, Florida (acquired at the above sale)
Acquired from the above

This work is in excellent condition. The board is sound. The surface is clean and the colors present nicely. Under UV inspection, no inpainting is present.
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.

The present composition depicts a young couple floating below several bouquets of flowers. Set against the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, the vista recalls his life in Paris with his first wife Bella, with whom he had lived in Paris. In juxtaposing this Parisian imagery with the lush Mediterranean bouquet, Les Amoureaux aux bouquets rouges combines Chagall’s two lovers: Bella and Vava. With its free-flowing style and bright, translucent colors, the present work is a magnificent example of the effect that the South of France had on Chagall’s art. “The Southern French landscape had astonished Chagall with its wealth of colours and its lyrical atmosphere, had captivated him with the beauty of its flowers and foliage. These impressions found their way into his paintings of that period, refined their peinture and lent them a hitherto unknown radiance” (Walter Erben, Marc Chagall, London, 1957, p. 134).

In reference to Chagall’s output from this period, the artist’s biographer Franz Meyer writes, “The light, the vegetation, the rhythm of life all contributed to the rise of a more relaxed airy, sensuous style in which the magic of colour dominates more and more with the passing years. At Vence he witnessed the daily miracle of growth and blossoming in the mild, strong all-pervading light—an experience in which earth and matter had their place” (Franz Meyer, Marc Chagall, London, 1964, p. 519).

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