ART AUCTION

Above: Marc CHAGALL (1887-1985), L’Arc-en-ciel du peintre, 1978-80, gouache, pen and India ink and pastel on paper, 64.8 x 54.9 cm.

Estimate : €50,000 - 80,000, SOLD FOR €252,000. © Christie’s Images Limited 2023.

Chagall was endlessly inspired by the boundless space created by music, shaping his pictorial world through all media. The artist also carried out numerous substantial commissions the world over, including costume creation and set design for ballets, stage curtains and opera costumes. In 1964, Chagall painted the Opéra Garnier’s ceiling, the zenith of his artistic career. The famous Parisian façade would become a recurring figure in his work, as in L’Ange devant l’Opéra (1981, estimate: €180,000 - €200,000; sold for €327,600).

This October, Christie’s New York will be presenting Part II of Marc Chagall, Colour of Life: Prints and Artist’s Books Formerly from the Artist’s Estate. Celebrating Chagall’s life-long love of printmaking, the sale will feature works from the 1920’s to 70’s and will include several rare, extensively hand-coloured proofs.