Private Collection, France
Acquired from the above by the present owner

The canvas is not lined and UV examination reveals no evidence of retouching. This work is in overall very good condition. Colours: overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue, though the colours are more luminous in the original.
"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."

Clowns et ecuyère is a quintessential example of Chagall's mastery in assembling an array of surreal and folkl⛎oric images in a dense and colourful composition and features an array of the most iconic elements of his pictorial iconography: the clown-musician, the horse and the rooster. Each figure is masterfully rendered throuꩵgh a matrix of intense colour and spatial experimentation that characterizes Chagall's most successful works, reflecting his own very personal delight in the act of artistic creation.

As Susan Compton remarked in the catalogue of the Royal Academy Chagall retrospective: 'Throughout his life certain themes recur in the work of Chagall [...] for the themes in Chagall's art are timeless, not confined to a single epoch of history, but reminding man of the continuity of life for generation after generation, since the earliest days of recorded time' (Susan Compton, Chagall (exhibition catalogue), Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1985, p. 14). The magic of the circus and its performers is one of the most dominant and celebrated of C𓂃hagall's artistic themes: his first encounters as a child in Vitebsk provided a lifetime's worth of inspiration, and the present work is testament to this enduring fascination.