Le peintre ailé ou peins le visage, 1978

Marc Chagall

1887-1985

Ink, tempera, gouache and pastel on tinted Japanese paper
Signed in ink “Marc Chagall” lower left; signed “Chagall” in the palette; titled in Cyrillic verso
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity (No. 2018038)
from the Comité Marc Chagall, Paris, 14 March 2018.
Provenance: Estate of the artist

This original, extraordinary work by Chagall is incredibly detailed and fully executed to the highest levels. Bursting with Chagallian allusions, it depicts an intricate scene with Chagall as a winged creator. The artist, angelically in the center at an easel, sits in his chair with palette in one hand; the other poised above the canvas. Through the studio window in the background, the light of the lush landscape of southern France penetrates into the pictorial space, in the foreground, reminiscences of his childhood: the village of Vitebsk, with one of its characteristic synagogues, a couple embracing, children playing and animals running through the streets. In this work, we get a glimpse into the inspiration of a painter, and perhaps gain some insight into how Chagall felt about his own painting. The colors of this artwork are incredibly dense and complex—networks of blue, green, orange and brown hues contrast the effervescent light of the feathers, while Chagall is luminous as the central focus.