Details

Provenance

Galerie Maeght, Paris Sotheby's, London, July 4, 1970, lot 100 Private Collection, Germany (acquired at the above sale and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 20, 2006, lot 364 Acquired at the above sale Condition Very Good Condition. Original canvas. The slightly dirty surface retains a very thick impasto. Under UV light, there are a few small florescent areas near upper right corner and center of upper left window pane. Most of this florescence appears to be original pigment. A few small areas at upper right corner are strengthened with strokes of inpainting. 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 La Nappe Brodée is a poetic meditation on Chagall's much loved motifs, the flowers and the lovers. A dream-like atmosphere is evoked by the dominant blue/green tones of the work, and the embroidered tablecloth of the title provides a focal counterpoint to the vibrant mosaic of color represented by the bouquet. La Nappe Brodée exemplifies Chagall's extraordinary ability to render atmosphere through tonal harmonies. Writing on the subject of flowers in Chagall's work, Franz Meyer commented, "Many are simple still lives 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, Life and Work , New York, 1961, p. 369). As in the Russian stained glass windows which inspired him, reality is filtered through Chagall's visionary lens, and the chromatic variations of this work exemplify Chagall's delight in revealing the sensuous possibilities of color. As Chagall commented early in his career, shortly after his arrival in Paris, "In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love." Flowers can be read as a romantic symbol in Chagall's art, an interpretation furthered in this case by the ghostly motif of the lovers who float mysteriously in the foreground. This somnolent vision can therefore be interpreted as a celebration of love and the fantastical world of the unconscious.

Catalog summary

Marc Chagall LA NAPPE BRODÉE Signed Marc Chagall (lower right); also signed Marc Chagall on the reverse Oil on canvas 18 1/8 by 15 in. 46 by 38 cm Provenance Galerie Maeght, Paris Sotheby's, London, July 4, 1970, lot 100 Private Collection, Germany (acquired at the above sale and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 20, 2006, lot 364 Acquired at the above sale Condition Very Good Condition. Original canvas. The slightly dirty surface retains a very thick impasto. Under UV light, there are a few small florescent areas near upper right corner and center of upper left window pane. Most of this florescence appears to be original pigment. A few small areas at upper right corner are strengthened with strokes of inpainting. 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 La Nappe Brodée is a poetic meditation on Chagall's much loved motifs, the flowers and the lovers. A dream-like atmosphere is evoked by the dominant blue/green tones of the work, and the embroidered tablecloth of the title provides a focal counterpoint to the vibrant mosaic of color represented by the bouquet. La Nappe Brodée exemplifies Chagall's extraordinary ability to render atmosphere through tonal harmonies. Writing on the subject of flowers in Chagall's work, Franz Meyer commented, "Many are simple still lives 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, Life and Work , New York, 1961, p. 369). As in the Russian stained glass windows which inspired him, reality is filtered through Chagall's visionary lens, and the chromatic variations of this work exemplify Chagall's delight in revealing the sensuous possibilities of color. As Chagall commented early in his career, shortly after his arrival in Paris, "In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love." Flowers can be read as a romantic symbol in Chagall's art, an interpretation furthered in this case by the ghostly motif of the lovers who float mysteriously in the foreground. This somnolent vision can therefore be interpreted as a celebration of love and the fantastical world of the unconscious.