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Lot Essay
The Comité Marc Chagall has confirmed the authenticity of this work.
Marc Chagall has been lauded as the “painter-poet” of the twentieth century (W. Haftmann, Marc Chagall, exh. cat., Nationalgalerie, Berlin, 1972, p. 7). Jacob Baal-Teshuva commented that although his work is not always easy to understand, "a painting by Chagall is a presence which imposes itself even upon those who are deaf to poetry’s voice" (Chagall, A Retrospective, New York, 1995, p. 146). Chagall’s works, brimming with enigmatic symbolism, “assure life…they express the ineffaceable images of childhood, the wishes of the heart, [and] the joy of the eyes” (ibid., p. 146). Throughout Chagall’s long and illustrious career, his paintings chronologically reflect his emotions, providing the beholder with a window into the artist’s soul in a deeply personal way. During the joyous periods of his life, such as those moments shared with this beloved first wife Bella, his paintings are bright, bursting with color, and at times intensely sensuous. Yet even in his periods of darkness, when his work becomes appropriately somber, Aleksandr Kamensky stipulated that Chagall’s “tragic subjects assert that the world is good in itself and that its horror is only a deviation from the correct order of things” (ibid., p. 146). Le reflet (Paysage de nuit) is an example of a work that remains quietly optimistic despite its immediate melancholic atmosphere.
The subject of the present work remains lost in a dreamlike haze that envelops the canvas. A glowing orb of light radiates from the center of the painting, partially illuminating the rows of houses that line the shore of a dark river. The scene likely depicts Vitebsk, Chagall’s birthplace in Russia located along the river Dvina. Chagall frequently chose to depict his home, even into the latter part his career. In discussing his work, he stated “every painter is born somewhere. And even though he may later return to the influences of other atmospheres, a certain essence—a certain ‘aroma’—of his birthplace clings to his work” (ibid., p. 149).
While the dark town reflects memories of his early life in Russia, the ominous tone may reference Chagall’s complicated relationship with his heritage. Before leaving Russia for the West in 1922, Chagall wrote that “neither Imperial Russia, nor the Russia of the Soviets needs me, they don’t understand me, I am a stranger to them” (ibid., p. 274), words that remained true late into his career. His paintings were outlawed under Stalin and remained banned from display in Russia while he painted Le reflet (Paysage de nuit).
In spite of his deeply mixed nostalgia for his birthplace, there are elements of warmth and idealism in this otherwise dark memory. A smiling woman, possibly his first wife Bella, holding a bright bouquet of flowers is depicted on the right side of the canvas. The flowers are a distinct and cheerful element in the darkness of Chagall’s mental landscape. James Johnson Sweeney noted in Marc Chagall in 1946 that Chagall “had not known bouquets of flowers in Russia…he said that when he painted a bouquet it was as if he was painting a landscape. It represented France to him” (Marc Chagall, New York, 1946, p. 56). Chagall’s time in France with his beloved wife Bella was the happiest of his life, and he depicted his adoration of her in many of his paintings. To Chagall, Bella was not only his constant companion, but his protection from the pain of his past. After her death in 1944, his love for Bella never diminished, and she became a permanent symbol of life and joy.
(fig. 1) Aimé Maeght with Marc and Vava Chagall, circa 1970.
Marc Chagall has been lauded as the “painter-poet” of the twentieth century (W. Haftmann, Marc Chagall, exh. cat., Nationalgalerie, Berlin, 1972, p. 7). Jacob Baal-Teshuva commented that although his work is not always easy to understand, "a painting by Chagall is a presence which imposes itself even upon those who are deaf to poetry’s voice" (Chagall, A Retrospective, New York, 1995, p. 146). Chagall’s works, brimming with enigmatic symbolism, “assure life…they express the ineffaceable images of childhood, the wishes of the heart, [and] the joy of the eyes” (ibid., p. 146). Throughout Chagall’s long and illustrious career, his paintings chronologically reflect his emotions, providing the beholder with a window into the artist’s soul in a deeply personal way. During the joyous periods of his life, such as those moments shared with this beloved first wife Bella, his paintings are bright, bursting with color, and at times intensely sensuous. Yet even in his periods of darkness, when his work becomes appropriately somber, Aleksandr Kamensky stipulated that Chagall’s “tragic subjects assert that the world is good in itself and that its horror is only a deviation from the correct order of things” (ibid., p. 146). Le reflet (Paysage de nuit) is an example of a work that remains quietly optimistic despite its immediate melancholic atmosphere.
The subject of the present work remains lost in a dreamlike haze that envelops the canvas. A glowing orb of light radiates from the center of the painting, partially illuminating the rows of houses that line the shore of a dark river. The scene likely depicts Vitebsk, Chagall’s birthplace in Russia located along the river Dvina. Chagall frequently chose to depict his home, even into the latter part his career. In discussing his work, he stated “every painter is born somewhere. And even though he may later return to the influences of other atmospheres, a certain essence—a certain ‘aroma’—of his birthplace clings to his work” (ibid., p. 149).
While the dark town reflects memories of his early life in Russia, the ominous tone may reference Chagall’s complicated relationship with his heritage. Before leaving Russia for the West in 1922, Chagall wrote that “neither Imperial Russia, nor the Russia of the Soviets needs me, they don’t understand me, I am a stranger to them” (ibid., p. 274), words that remained true late into his career. His paintings were outlawed under Stalin and remained banned from display in Russia while he painted Le reflet (Paysage de nuit).
In spite of his deeply mixed nostalgia for his birthplace, there are elements of warmth and idealism in this otherwise dark memory. A smiling woman, possibly his first wife Bella, holding a bright bouquet of flowers is depicted on the right side of the canvas. The flowers are a distinct and cheerful element in the darkness of Chagall’s mental landscape. James Johnson Sweeney noted in Marc Chagall in 1946 that Chagall “had not known bouquets of flowers in Russia…he said that when he painted a bouquet it was as if he was painting a landscape. It represented France to him” (Marc Chagall, New York, 1946, p. 56). Chagall’s time in France with his beloved wife Bella was the happiest of his life, and he depicted his adoration of her in many of his paintings. To Chagall, Bella was not only his constant companion, but his protection from the pain of his past. After her death in 1944, his love for Bella never diminished, and she became a permanent symbol of life and joy.
(fig. 1) Aimé Maeght with Marc and Vava Chagall, circa 1970.