Estate of the Artist
Klabal Gallery, Greenwich, Connecticut
Acquired from the above by the present owners in 2001

Painted on composite board, which is stable. There is no evidence of retouching visible under UV light. There is some light rubbing to parts of the extreme edges with some associated small paint loss in places. Otherwise, this work is in overall very good condition.
"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."

Throughout his career, Marc Chagall consistently turned to flower painting, not as rigorous studies in realism, but rather as expressive evocations of fantasy in their conflation of still-life, narrative motifs, and landscape. By this point in his life, Chagall enjoyed much international success and recognition and was living in the hill top village of Saint-Paul-de Vence with his wife Vava. He sought to capture the splendour and luminosity of this Côte d'Azur town by experimenting with bold colours and fluid, unstructured compositions. According to Chagall's biographer Franz Meyer, ‘The light, the vegetation, the rhythm of life all contributed to the rise of a more relaxed airy, sensuous style in which the magic of colour dominates more and more with the passing years.  At Vence he witnessed the daily miracle of growth and blossoming in the mild, strong all-pervading light - an experience in which earth and matter had their place’ (Franz Meyer, Marc Chagall, London, 1964, p. 519). 

Painted in the last few years of his life, Bouquet sur fond bleu represents the artist's tranquil disposition an🗹d the beauty that he found in his South of France surroundings and happy domestic life. The flowers of the bouquet are magnificently oversized compared with the figures, which conveys to the viewer a sense of abundance and whimsy. The mysterious and magical blue background is quintessential Chagall and is beautifully punctuated by the white crescent moon and accents of bright red.