The artist's Estate
Sale: Christie's, London, June 26, 1989, lot 54
Sale: Christie's, London, July 1, 1999, lot 632
Private Collection, Switzerland (acquired&n🙈bsp;at the above sale)

Work is in excellent condition. Canvas is not lined. Under UV light: no inpainting is apparent.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Painted during Chagall's mature period, the present work is a colorful celebration of one of the artist's favorite subjects, the cock. Franz Meyer states, "The fowlyard, too, has its place in Chagall's recollections of his childhood. That is why poultry are always part of the Russian scenes painted during his first Paris period. In the twenties impressions of French farmyards and work on the Fables lend the motif a new topicality. It first occupies a central position in On the Rooster painted in 1928, which is linked with the pictures of young girls riding horses and donkeys. Of course, as a symbol the cock has an entirely different and far stranger nature than the quadrupeds, which, despite their four feet, are more closely related to man. For thousands of years it has played a part in religious rites as the embodiment of the forces of the sun and fire. This symbolic meaning still lingers on in Chagall's works, where the cock represents elementary spiritual power" (Franz Meyer, Marc Chagall, New York, 1963, p. 380).