Galerie Maeght, Paris
Sacha Guitry, Paris
Charles E. Slatkin Galleries, New York
Acquired from the above in 1961

New York, Charles E. Slatkin Galleries, French Master Drawings, XVI-XX Centuries, 1959, no. 134

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down and taped to the backing board in places on the verso. The upper, lower and left edges are deckled. This work appears to be in 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.
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.

Chagall immediately fell in love with his wife, Bella, upon meeting her in 1909. She served as his muse throughout their nearly thirty years together and continued to inspire him after her untimely death in 1944. During their courtship and marriage, Bella posed as model for several of his works, and many of Chagall’s sketchbooks contained images of her for the rest of his life. After Bella’s death, Chagall briefly stopped painting, stating, “I lost her, who was the meaning in my life, my inspiration. Now-as ‘easy’ and [un]clouded as my life was, so it is now full of tragedies. I am lost” (quoted in Susan Tumarkin Goodman, Chagall, Love, War, and Exile, New York, 2013, p. 62).

The lovers who serve as the focal point of this work represent an archetype Chagall revisited throughout his oeuvre. Though Chagall began a romance with Virginia Haggard after Bella passed away, he continued to commemorate Bell🧸a’s memory with much of his artwork. He executed this composition in 1949, five years after Bella’s death, and repeats many of the same motifs he used to depict their romance while she was alive. A half-moon bathes the entwined lovers in soft, romantic light. Chagall associated the color blue with joy, and thus painted predominantly blue backgrounds in varying shades.