Couple devant buisson by Marc Chagall

Marc Chagall
1887-1985 | Russian

Couple devant buisson
(Couple in front of a bush)

Signed "Chagall Marc" (lower right)
Gouache, India ink and graphite on paper

An extraordinarily vibrant gouache from the great Marc Chagall, Couple devant buisson captures the artist's most iconic and coveted motif: his lovers. Painted circa 1950, this stunning work embodies why Chagall is widely regarded as one of the greatest colorists of all time.

Chagall’s iconic embracing couple floats against the dark night sky, enveloped in a radiant burst of florals—another of his most famous subjects. The artist’s electric palette evokes the great power of love, a theme that occupied Chagall throughout his entire career. His most important compositions blend dynamic color with his recognizable repertoire of characters, and Couple devant buisson is an exceptionally vivid example of this.

Famously, Chagall’s lovers were connected to the artist’s personal life. These amorous figures mirrored his affection for his first wife, Bella Rosenfeld, who tragically died the same year his beloved hometown was pillaged during WWII in 1944. Instead of dwelling on his grief following her passing, Chagall embraced vivid, emotive colors and surreal settings to express the complexities of his experiences. Painted just a few years after Bella’s death, Couple devant buisson embodies Chagall’s profound ability to capture the joyous memory of his first love.

Marc Chagall was born in Vitebsk, Russia, to a large, close-knit Jewish family of herring merchants. He began studying painting in 1906 under the famed artist Yehuda Pen. In 1907, he moved to St. Petersburg and joined the school of the Society of Art Supporters. In 1910, Chagall relocated to Paris to be near the art community of the Montparnasse district, and he would eventually become a French citizen. Amongst the turmoil of the 20th century, including the Soviet regime and the outbreak of WWII, Chagall would continue to move between Russia, France and the United States throughout his life.

Chagall died at the age of 97 in Saint-Paul de Vence, France, in 1985, leaving behind an incredible body of work, as well as an entire museum dedicated to his legacy, the Musée National Marc Chagall in Nice, France. His works also belong to the collections of prestigious museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, Tate Modern in London and the Art Institute of Chicago.

This work is accompanied by its certificate of authenticity issued by the Comité Marc Chagall.

Circa 1949-50

Paper: 12 1/2" high x 8 3/4" wide (31.75 x 22.23 cm)
Frame: 27 1/4" high x 23 1/2" wide x 3" deep (69.32 x 59.69 x 7.62 cm)

Provenance:
Estate of the artist
M.S. Rau, New Orleans