69011: Marc Chagall (French/Russian, 1887-1985) Esquiss
Marc Chagall (French/Russian, 1887-1985) Esquisse pour "Les fiancés à l'oiseau" (Le mariage), circa 1960 Pastel, oil, India ink, and pencil on paper 15-3/4 x 10-7/8 inches (40.0 x 27.6 cm) (sheet) Signed lower right: Marc Chagall PROVENANCE: Private collection, Metairie, Louisiana; Private collection; Private collection, Washington, D.C., acquired circa 2006. This lot is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Comité Marc Chagall, no. 2021020, dated April 12, 2021. Many of Chagall's figural works center on one of his most enduring and endearing themes, couples consumed by love, a result of his own undying love for his first wife, Bella. After marrying in 1915, they remained inseparable under her untimely death in 1944. Despite later remarrying in 1950, Chagall's love for Bella remained immutable and undiminished by his simultaneous affections for his second wife, Vava. Kept alive in his work, Bella's memory served as inspiration for all of his "brides", including the figure in the present work. Here we see Chagall's passion expressed urgently – his feelings rapidly scratched and flicked onto the paper in a flurry of emotion. His use of ink, pastel, and pencil, media that lend themselves to quick work, injects the composition with a sense of immediacy, a rush to capture a fleeting, beautiful memory of his beloved before it flies away like his figures. This haste was present throughout their courtship, as the two met by happenstance through a mutual friend, and it was love at first sight: "I dare not raise my eyes and meet his gaze. His eyes are now greenish-grey, the colors of the sky and water. I'm swimming in them, like in a river." – Bella Rosenfeld "She looks – oh, her eyes! ...Big, high, black! These are my eyes, my soul." – Marc Chagall HID03101062020© 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Condition Report: On stable paper support with raw upper, lower, and right edges. Minor discoloration visible at extreme edges and corners of sheet. A few scattered instances of very finely patterned craquelure. A small tear in the right side of the upper edge. A small chip to the white paint at the waist of the female figure. . Sheet is float mounted and framed under acrylic. Not examined out of frame.
Framed Dimensions 25.25 X 20.125 X 1.5 Inches Heritage Auctions strongly encourages in-person inspection of items by the bidder. Statements by Heritage regarding the condition of objects are for guidance only And should Not be relied upon as statements of fact, And do Not constitute a representation, warranty, Or assumption of liability by Heritage. All lots offered are sold "As Is"
Buyer's Premium per Lot:25% on the first $300,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $300,001 and $3,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $3,000,001 per lot.
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Marc Chagall (French/Russian, 1887-1985) Esquisse pour "Les fiancés à l'oiseau" (Le mariage), circa 1960 Pastel, oil, India ink, and pencil on paper 15-3/4 x 10-7/8 inches (40.0 x 27.6 cm) (sheet) Signed lower right: Marc Chagall PROVENANCE: Private collection, Metairie, Louisiana; Private collection; Private collection, Washington, D.C., acquired circa 2006. This lot is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Comité Marc Chagall, no. 2021020, dated April 12, 2021. Many of Chagall's figural works center on one of his most enduring and endearing themes, couples consumed by love, a result of his own undying love for his first wife, Bella. After marrying in 1915, they remained inseparable under her untimely death in 1944. Despite later remarrying in 1950, Chagall's love for Bella remained immutable and undiminished by his simultaneous affections for his second wife, Vava. Kept alive in his work, Bella's memory served as inspiration for all of his "brides", including the figure in the present work. Here we see Chagall's passion expressed urgently – his feelings rapidly scratched and flicked onto the paper in a flurry of emotion. His use of ink, pastel, and pencil, media that lend themselves to quick work, injects the composition with a sense of immediacy, a rush to capture a fleeting, beautiful memory of his beloved before it flies away like his figures. This haste was present throughout their courtship, as the two met by happenstance through a mutual friend, and it was love at first sight: "I dare not raise my eyes and meet his gaze. His eyes are now greenish-grey, the colors of the sky and water. I'm swimming in them, like in a river." – Bella Rosenfeld "She looks – oh, her eyes! ...Big, high, black! These are my eyes, my soul." – Marc Chagall HID03101062020© 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Condition Report: On stable paper support with raw upper, lower, and right edges. Minor discoloration visible at extreme edges and corners of sheet. A few scattered instances of very finely patterned craquelure. A small tear in the right side of the upper edge. A small chip to the white paint at the waist of the female figure. . Sheet is float mounted and framed under acrylic. Not examined out of frame.
Framed Dimensions 25.25 X 20.125 X 1.5 Inches Heritage Auctions strongly encourages in-person inspection of items by the bidder. Statements by Heritage regarding the condition of objects are for guidance only And should Not be relied upon as statements of fact, And do Not constitute a representation, warranty, Or assumption of liability by Heritage. All lots offered are sold "As Is"
Buyer's Premium per Lot:25% on the first $300,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $300,001 and $3,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $3,000,001 per lot.
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Estimate
Time, Location
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