Galerie Maeght, Paris
Sale: Christie’s, London, 29th March 1988, lot 329
Private Collection, Europe (purchased at the above sale)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, taped to the mount at each corner and floating in the mount. All edges are deckled. There is an artist's pin hole to each upper corner, four towards the lower left corner and two towards the lower right corner. There is a small loss to the upper right corner and tiny nicks in places along the edges. There are some fine lines of paint shrinkage to the yellow pigment and a small spot of abrasion to the veil. This work is in overall 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."

La mariée en bleue is a poignant example of recurring themes in the art of Chagall achieved through the means of a carefully balanced composition and striking colours. Charged in emotion, Chagall focuses on the themes of marriage and religious belief. Having painted this work ten years after the war, Chagall employs his most celebrated themes and imagery; a married woman, Christ on the cross, a portrait of an artist with his easel and a young couple in love painted in a background reminiscent to his hometown of Vitebsk. This arrangement suggests a retrospective, as the artist reviews his life with his signature imagery.

Chagall stated 'I paint cows, dairies, roosters and the architecture of the Russian provinces as a source of forms because all these subjects are part of the country I come from, and these things have without doubt left in my visual memory a more profound impression than all the others that I may have received. Every painter is from somewhere, and even if later he responds to other surroundings, a certain essence, a certain aroma of his native land will always remain in his work' (quoted in Charles Sorlier (ed.), Chagall by Chagall, New York, 1979, p. 78).

This work was painted in 1955-57, ten years after the war, by which time Chagall had settled in Vence in the South of France with his new wife.  In line with many of his other depictions of the theme, Christianity is here portrayed as resolutely Jewish, the depiction of Christ wearing a striped prayer shawl around his waist in blue and white, as opposed to the plain loin cloth associated with Christian representations of the subject. Chagall uses colours and strong brushstrokes t♌o draw the viewers to this engaging scene, achieving the portrayal of 🔯a pensive and nostalgic mood and reconciles the many and varied influences upon his work. The strong blue emphasises the sense of reflection that characterise much of his later work in the present dreamy imagery.