Dr. Bernhard Sprengel, Hannover (acquired by 1961)
Private Collection, Europe (acquired in the early 1960s)
Private Collection, Europe (by descent from the above and sold: Christie's, London, June 24, 2010, lot 168)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Hamburg, Kunstverein; Munich, Haus der Kunst & Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Marc Chagall, 1959, no. 258
Wolfsburg, Stadthalle, Französische Malerei von Delacroix bis Picasso, 1961, no. 29, illustrated in the catalogue

Franz Meyer, Marc Chagall, New York, 1963, no. 883, illustrated n.p.

Executed on wove paper which has not been laid down. The sheet is affixed to the mat at all four corners. The top and bottom edges have been cut and the right and left ones are deckled. There is very minor scuffing to the left side of the top edge. There is a light undulation to the paper. There is a short horizontal tear to the center of the left edge (measuring approx. 1/4 in. in length). There is some light craquelure to the dark green pigment in the lower half of the female figure’s dress. The pigments are extremely fresh and strong, the work is 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.

La Famille et le coq rouge is a striking example of Chagall’s mesmerizing dreamworld. Suffused rich color and incorporating many of the motifs that occur repeatedly in his work, La Famille et le coq rouge reflects a return to the color and energy that characterized Chagall’s pre-war canvases.

Chagall found a strong affinity between painting and dreaming, themes exquisitely reflected in this composition. The extreme boldness of color and dynamic energy of the unstructured composition conveys the fantasy and exuberance of his inner and ideal world. La Famille et le coq rouge contains several of the most crucial elements in the artist's pictorial iconography: symbols of his agrarian roots, domesticity and a landscape evoking both the villages of his childhood home in Russia and the Mediterranean coastal towns in the south of France. The amalgamation of these elements results in a whimsical, dream-like composition that becomes an expression of the artist’s internal universe rather than an objective com🌱mentary of the modern world. Most notably, the composition celebrates his overwhelming love for his beloved Bella and thei🔥r daughter, Ida.