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Artworks
Marc Chagall
Le peintre devant 'le soleil rouge' , 1965Gouache, pastel, Indian ink and pencil on Arches wove paper13 7/8 x 10 5/8 in, 35.3 x 26.9 cmSignature stamp of the Estate 'Chagall' lower rightPainted in 1965 when the Chagall was living in Vence, ‘Le peintre devant ‘le soleil rouge’’ is an intimate self-portrait of the artist in his studio. The painting incorporates many...Painted in 1965 when the Chagall was living in Vence, ‘Le peintre devant ‘le soleil rouge’’ is an intimate self-portrait of the artist in his studio. The painting incorporates many of the classic tropes seen in Chagall’s work, with the embracing couple soaring above the rooftops and the cockerel floating above the artist.
Self-portraits are an important part of Chagall’s oeuvre. The artist invariably depicts himself with palette in hand, signifying how he saw being an artist as his defining feature. In the work depicted on the easel, Chagall reimagines his 1949 ‘Le Soleil Rouge’, (Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art, Sakura, Japan).
During the late 1950s and 1960s, Chagall’s works were predominantly a celebration of life and love. Although richly coloured and joyous there was often a tinge of solace within them. In ‘Le peintre devant ‘le soleil rouge’’ the couple reference is to Chagall’s wife Bella who tragically died in 1944. Although a personal motif, the figures take on a wider symbolic meaning, transcending realism and going beyond the artist’s own love.
‘Le Peintre devant ‘le soleil rouge’’ remained with Chagall during his life and was passed to his family upon his death.Provenance
Estate of the artistLiterature
This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Comité Marc Chagall under number 2021072 and dated 7 July 20213of 3