Violiniste au coq by Marc Chagall

Marc Chagall
1887-1985 | Russian

Violiniste au coq
(Violinist with a Rooster)

Stamped with signature "Marc Chagall" (lower right)
Gouache, pastel, India ink, colored pencils and graphite on paper

This magnificent masterpiece by the great Marc Chagall offers a captivating glimpse into the mind of the artist. Violiniste au coq is a remarkable, large-scale gouache that unites almost all of Chagall's most iconic motifs in a touching tribute to his home. Its dreamlike composition and vibrant palette reveal why Chagall is one of art history's most celebrated giants.

One of Chagall's most important symbols, a charming fiddler plays his instrument at the center of this composition. Inspired by his upbringing in the rural village of Vitebsk with his violinist uncle and a mandolin-playing brother, Chagall painted these musicians throughout his entire career. For the artist, they were spiritual guides and embodiments of the emotional power of art and music, and they frequently appear at the center of some of Chagall’s most famous paintings, including The Green Violinist, which now belongs to the Guggenheim Museum.

The brilliantly colored musician is accompanied by a wide-eyed rooster, a smiling yellow goat and rustic village buildings—more of Chagall's most famous motifs that are rooted in his childhood. This vivid cast of characters swirls around the composition with the artist's signature soft brushwork. Quintessential of Chagall's best works, the overall effect of this extraordinary painting is dreamlike and full of nostalgia and hope.

Chagall’s later works are characterized by a rich use of jewel tones and bright colors and a turn toward even more personal and introspective subjects. Known especially for his bold blues, reds and yellows, Chagall employs all three to dazzling effect here in Violiniste au coq, drawing the viewer's eye to keep points of the composition. Even in the last decade of his long life, Chagall continued to paint fervently, and these works are some of the most desirable and sought-after in his oeuvre. 

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 that continues to demand the highest attention in the art world. Today, his works belong to the collections of prestigious museums across the globe, 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.

Painted 1976

Paper: 23" high x 17 1/2" wide (58.42 x 44.45 cm)
Frame: 42 3/4" high x 36 3/4" wide x 3 1/2" deep (108.59 x 93.35 x 8.89 cm)

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