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Lot Essay
Vividly colored and rich with personal symbolism, Marc Chagall’s Crépuscule is an important work that dates from 1940, one of the most turbulent moments of the artist’s life. Both Russian Jewish immigrants, him and his wife Bella Rosenfeld had become French nationals in 1937 and were living in the rural French countryside. Yet, the political situation in Europe at the time was rapidly deteriorating and by June 1940, Paris had fallen to the Germans. Chagall was hesitant to make any plans to flee Europe, refusing to concede the danger he faced by remaining in France, and instead immersing himself in his painting. It was not until Varian Fry of the Emergency Rescue Committee offered the artist and his wife assistance in moving to America that plans were set in motion for their departure.
Crépuscule, which depicts Chagall and Bella in sensual embrace, was painted during this period of intense uncertainty. A very personal and dear theme to the artist, perhaps he aimed to immerse himself in romantic memory, away from the harsh reality of World War II. In his autobiography, Chagall speaks to his great love for Bella: “Her silence is mine. Her eyes mine. I feel she has known me always, my childhood, my present life, my future; as if she were watching over me, divining my innermost being” (quoted in Marc Chagall: My Life, 1960, New York).
In the present work, the two lovers are shown interlaced, floating under the moonlight against a royal blue sky. Bella’s fitted red dress and pale skin contrast with Chagall’s black coat and bring brightness to the gloaming atmosphere of the picture. Her parted lips and exposed breast accentuate the physicality of their embrace, while the work’s deep and resonant palette enhances the intimate nature of the scene. Chagall’s devotion to Bella remained a constant thread and source of inspiration throughout his life, even after her untimely death in 1944. He continued to commemorate her in his work until the very end of his career, bringing her back to life through his art.
According to the Marc Chagall committee, the reverse of the present work originally featured a preliminary sketch for Amoureux dans la nuit. The sketch was likely washed over by Chagall with a white material in 1940, in an attempt to facilitate a hasty export of the work out of France, as customs had approved Crépuscule leaving for the United States, but not its verso.
Crépuscule was exhibited for the first time at the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York in 1941. The work was acquired by Ludmilla and Hans Arnhold shortly after, in 1944, and has remained in their family collection and private foundation ever since.
Crépuscule, which depicts Chagall and Bella in sensual embrace, was painted during this period of intense uncertainty. A very personal and dear theme to the artist, perhaps he aimed to immerse himself in romantic memory, away from the harsh reality of World War II. In his autobiography, Chagall speaks to his great love for Bella: “Her silence is mine. Her eyes mine. I feel she has known me always, my childhood, my present life, my future; as if she were watching over me, divining my innermost being” (quoted in Marc Chagall: My Life, 1960, New York).
In the present work, the two lovers are shown interlaced, floating under the moonlight against a royal blue sky. Bella’s fitted red dress and pale skin contrast with Chagall’s black coat and bring brightness to the gloaming atmosphere of the picture. Her parted lips and exposed breast accentuate the physicality of their embrace, while the work’s deep and resonant palette enhances the intimate nature of the scene. Chagall’s devotion to Bella remained a constant thread and source of inspiration throughout his life, even after her untimely death in 1944. He continued to commemorate her in his work until the very end of his career, bringing her back to life through his art.
According to the Marc Chagall committee, the reverse of the present work originally featured a preliminary sketch for Amoureux dans la nuit. The sketch was likely washed over by Chagall with a white material in 1940, in an attempt to facilitate a hasty export of the work out of France, as customs had approved Crépuscule leaving for the United States, but not its verso.
Crépuscule was exhibited for the first time at the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York in 1941. The work was acquired by Ludmilla and Hans Arnhold shortly after, in 1944, and has remained in their family collection and private foundation ever since.