F rom 3 July to 15 September, Sotheby’s Monaco will play host to a solo exhibition of 22 resplendent works of art by Marc Chagall, shining a spotlight on the artist’s last three decades spent in the South of France.
The artist’s life-long love affair with the South of France sparked a profusion of joyful imagery and rich colour palettes that enriched the figures that populate Chagall’s beguiling dreamworlds. From the moment he arrived in Vence in 1949, Chagall was captivated by the Mediterranean light, later choosing to settle permanently in Saint-Paul de Vence from 1966 to 1985, having divided his time between Russia and France.
In these works, all of Chagall’s favourite themes are beautifully evoked - from the embracing couple and the blooming bouquet of flowers to the appearance of the moon and the donkey - whilst being imbued with light and visibility brightened with the influence of the picturesque peninsula and aquatic landscape.
Among the key pieces on view is La Sirène au Poète. A quintessentially lyrical work produced in preparation for a lithograph in 1967, it encapsulates Chagall’s love of experimentation and the thorough research he carried out. The central figures - a poet and a siren lost in each other’s gaze - and the double moon are highlighted by the choice of a vivid, contrasting chromatic palette, playing out harmoniously on a large-format.
A further highlight is Le Porteur de Croix, representative of Chagall’s fascination with religion, and particularly the Bible, a source of much inspiration throughout his oeuvre. The work was produced following the publication of the artist's illustrated Old Testament for legendary art dealer Ambroise Vollard, and harks back to earlier paintings on this theme.
Location:
20 Avenue de la Costa, 98000 Monaco
Hours:
Tuesday–Friday| 10:00 AM–7:00 PM
Saturday | 11:00 AM–7:00 PM (8, 15, 22 & 29 July and 5 & 12 August)
Closed Sunday
Please note the exhibition will be closed from 14–21 August.
Contacts:
James Francis Fox
james.francisfox@sothebys.com
Louise Grether
louise.grether@sothebys.com
Julie Moreau
julie.moreau@sothebys.com
