James Vigeveno, Los Angeles
William Pall Gallery, New York
Waddington Galleries, London
Acquꦿired from the ab♔ove by the family of the present owner in 1975

Executed on cream wove paper, laid down on canvas. There are artist's pinholes to the upper and lower left corners. There is framing tape along the extreme left, right and upper edges and some glue remnants to the lower edge, due to the laying down process. Apart from some light time staining to the edges, this work is in very good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate, although the paper tone is brighter and the reds and purples in the flowers are pinker in the original than in the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Executed in the South of France in 1955, where Marc Chagall was living not far from the two titans Picasso and Matisse, the present work is a beautiful example of Chagall's post-war oeuvre. The past representations of Vitebsk and the more sombre images of his early work have been replaced by a more vibrant, colourful approach to painting.

The present work is dominated by a large bouquet of red and yellow flowers. The subject of colourful bouquets of flowers fascinated Chagall from the 1920s onwards and was a theme he would continue to explore throughout his artistic career. The artist was first struck by the charm of flowers in Toulon in 1924 as he later claimed that he had not known flowers in Russia. Flowers hence became a representation of France for him. Writing about the subject of flowers in Chagall's work, Franz Meyer commented: 'Many are simple still lifes with a bunch of red roses and white lilacs; in others, pairs of lovers and air-borne fiddlers gambol through space. The atmosphere encompasses and pervades the flowers like a magically light, airy fluid, vibrant with their vitality' (Franz Meyer, Marc Chagall, Life and Work, New York, 1961, p. 369).