Nu au double-profil by Marc Chagall

Marc Chagall
1887-1985 I Russian
br> Nu au double-profil
(Nude in double-profile)

Signature stamp of the estate "Marc Chagall" (lower left)
Gouache, tempera, red chalk and felt pen on paper

Marc Chagall’s Nu au double-profil beautifully embodies the artist’s signature blend of surrealism and symbolism. In this captivating composition, Chagall merges reality with dreamlike fantasy, featuring a male and female figure merged in a "double profile," a motif frequently explored in his work. The figures float within a scene that defies natural order, with a winged grandfather clock soaring through the sky, suggesting a transcendent concept of time. The juxtaposition of these surreal elements heightens the imaginative quality of the work, further underscoring Chagall's mastery of creating worlds untethered to the physical realm.

Nu au double-profil unfolds like a vivid dreamscape, brimming with Chagall’s most beloved motifs. A symphony of vibrant colors, brought to life through gouache and tempera, bathes the "doubled" central figure in an otherworldly glow. Chagall subtly integrates a self-portrait in the upper-left corner, where he paints a bouquet and moon onto a canvas—elements that echo outside the frame in a brilliant interplay of art and reality. The bouquet’s leaves blend seamlessly with the hair of the intertwined figures, a poetic fusion of the human and natural worlds that epitomizes Chagall’s distinctive visual language.

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's importance as a pioneering figure of modern art cannot be overstated. His imaginative compositions, often centered on personal memories, folklore, and religious themes, had a profound influence on the development of 20th-century art.

Chagall’s use of color and form bridges the realms of Cubism, Surrealism and Symbolism, while remaining distinctly his own. His paintings have remained prized highlights in public and private collections alike, with works belonging to important institutions across the globe including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Tate Modern in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Meret Meyer, on behalf of the Comité Chagall, dated 6 April 2023 (no. 2023111)

Circa 1975

Paper: 29 1/8" high x 22 1/2" wide (74 x 57 cm)
Framed: 50“ high x 42 1/2” wide x 3 3/8“ deep (127 x 108 x 8.5 cm)

Provenance:
Estate of the artist
Private collection, London