Fine Art M.S. Rau | Mere Et Enfant Sur L’Ane Marron By Marc Chagall

Marc Chagall
1887-1985 | Russian

Mère Et Enfant Sur L’Âne Marron
(Mother And Child On Brown Donkey)

Stamped With Signature “Marc Chagall” (Lower Left)
Oil On Canvas

This Exquisite Painting By Modern Master Marc Chagall Embodies The Fantastical Wonder And Dreamlike Aura Of His Celebrated Oeuvre. Throughout His Long Career, Chagall Infused His Works With Powerful Imagery And Symbolism, Exploring Themes Of Love, Camaraderie And Happiness In His Celebrated Vibrant Palette. No Other 20Th-Century Artist Possessed Chagall’S Gift For Compositional Harmony, And His Canvases Capture Intimate, Otherworldly Visions Of His Own Imaginative Aesthetic World.

Chagall’S Compositions Of The 1970S Marry His Dynamic Use Of Color With Recognizable Characters Frequently Visited In His Oeuvre, While Also Becoming Decisively More Personal And Introspective. Mère Et Enfant Sur L’Âne Marron Showcases This Confluence Of Traits To Great Effect, Creating An Immersive And Beautiful Composition. In The Center-Left, Chagall Paints The Namesake Subjects Of The Work, A Mother And Child Riding Sidesaddle On A Donkey. Rather Than Painting The Animal In Naturalistic Hues, Chagall Reimagines The Donkey In A Vivid Shade Of Purple. As Mother And Son Cling Together, Their Bond To Each Other And To The Land They Traverse Feels Palpable. In The Distance, Chagall Paints A Village Illuminated By The Glow Of A Rising Crescent Moon – Perhaps A Nod To His Childhood Home Of Vitebsk. Looming Largely Above The Homes Is Chagall’S Signature Rooster, A Fixture In His Works That Is Often Interpreted As A Sort Of Self-Portrait Or Calling Card For The Artist. In The Lower Right Register Of The Composition, Chagall Includes A Man Seated On The Ground, Reading A Paper And Deep In Thought. His Face Vibrantly Colored With A Touch Of Bright Green, Chagall Also Adds A Swathe Of This Hue To The Face Of The Boy, Linking The Two And Even Possibly Suggesting A Connection As An Older And Younger Version Of The Same Man. Coupled With The Rooster, The Work Can Be Interpreted As A Self-Portrait Of The Artist At Different Stages Of Life – As A Child, As A Grown Man And As A Transcendent Being In The Subconscious And Beyond.

Chagall’S Later Works Are Characterized By A Rich Use Of Bright Colors And A Turn Toward Even More Personal And Introspective Compositions. While His Artistic Career Indicates The Influences Of The Cubists, Supremacists, Surrealists And Abstract Expressionists, Chagall Remained On The Margins Of These Major Movements. His Aesthetics, Subjects And Visual Explorations Were Always Uniquely His Own.

Marc Chagall Was Born In Vitebsk, Russia, To A Large, Close-Knit Jewish Family Of Herring Merchants. He Began Studying Painting In 1906 Under Famed Artist Yehuda Pen. In 1907, He Moved To St. Petersburg And Joined The School Of The Society Of Art Supporters, Studying Under Nikolai Roerich, And Was Exposed To Every School And Artistic Style Imaginable During His Tenure There. Chagall Remained In St. Petersburg Until 1910, When He Relocated To Paris In Order To Be Near The Art Community Of The Montparnasse District, And He Would Eventually Become A French Citizen. Amongst The Turmoil Of The 20Th Century, Including The Soviet Regime And The Outbreak Of Wwii, Chagall Would Continue To Move Between Russia, France And The United States Throughout His Life. Chagall Died At The Age Of 97 In Saint-Paul De Vence, France In 1985, Leaving Behind An Incredible Body Of Work That Continues To Demand The Highest Attention In The Art Community. Today, His Works Belong To The Collections Of Prestigious Museums Across The Globe Including The Museum Of Modern Art In New York, The Guggenheim Museum In New York, Tate Modern In London And The National Museum Of Modern Art In Paris.

This Work Is Accompanied By A Certificate Of Authenticity Issued By The Comité Marc Chagall.

Painted 1973

Canvas: 14 1/2″ High X 17 3/4” Wide
Frame: 22 1/4“ High X 25 3/8” Wide

Provenance:
Estate Of The Artist
Galerie Nichido, Tokyo
Sale, Christie’S New York: Impressionist And Modern Art Day Sale, 2008
Private Collector, New York
M.S. Rau, New Orleans