Couple sous l’arbre ou Les amoureux

'So guide my hand. Take the brush and, like the leader of an orchestra, carry me off to far and unknown realms' - Marc Chagall

Through the deep blue of the night sky, enveloped in a tight yet gentle embrace, a young couple swirls over the roofs of a small town, its towers and houses still visible below in the distance. A small figure underneath hurries towards them with a bouquet of flowers. Next to him, the gaze of a smiling goat warmly invites us into this joyous scene.

Towering among these characters, a monumental and kaleidoscopic tree illuminates the deep blue of the night sky colouring it with countless and varied shades of red, yellow and green. Birds flicker near its flowers while the light of the moon vigorously perpetrates through its branches. The predominance of red pigments in the depiction of the tree recalls the hues of a crackling fire – almost as if the swirling figures surrounding it were benefitting from its warmth, as well as from its radiance.

The grandeur of the resplendent tree at the centre right is the most eye-catching element of this heartening scene. However, when one looks closely, its most stirring element is undoubtedly of a far more subtle nature: the amiable expressions of the two lovers. Held in the arms of her beloved, the woman gazes into the distance, safe and protected in the knowledge of the closeness of her loved one. Clutching her in his embrace, the curly haired man sweetly glances in front of him, his expression lost in thought, likely in memories of their love story. While their eyes are looking in opposite directions, their gentle smiles speak of a uniquely idyllic bond.

This work was executed between 1962 and 1963, when Chagall was 75 years old – despite his old age, the artist always maintained his characteristic curls, very similar to the ones of the male character on the left. To read this scene as a self-representation is certainly not farfetched: the present composition, showing lovers embracing in a dark background in front of a colourful bouquet is an iconic one for the artist, one that he explored time and time again, often including himself and his lover Bella as the main protagonists of the story.

By 1962 however, when this work was begun, Bella had been gone for 18 years, having died in 1944. While the scars of his lost love certainly never left the artist, new hope was found when he met Valentina ‘Vava’ Brodsky, who would become his loving and dedicated companion. The two met in the spring of 1952 – through ups and downs, their relationship lasted until Chagall’s death. Only three years after the completion of this work, they made their home in La Colline, a specially-built house that doubled as atelier for the artist in his final years, located on the outer edges of Saint-Paul, in Southern France. Their neighbours were renowned gallerists Aimé and Marguerite Maeght, who lived in the adjoining villa Le Mas Bernard – Aimé and Marc would often meet in the local cafés, the Colombe d’Or or and the Café de la Place. It certainly comes as no surprise then, that the Galerie Maeght were the first owners of this charming work.

The scene depicted here is a heartfelt ode to Chagall’s intimate, warm and caring relationship with Vava. The joyfulness and euphoria reflected in La couple sous l’arbre are a testament to the ability of the artist to maintain the sense of playfulness and lyricism inherent to his early artistic production in his later oeuvre, coupling it with a profound artistic maturity. This unique mélange is one of the many ingredients that make this work one of the most exquisite among Chagall’s later production.