Marc Chagall

Estate of the artist

Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2001

 

Irina Antonova, Andrei Voznesensky, and Martina Bessanova, Chagall Discovered, From Russian and Private Collections, Moscow, 1988, no. 67, illustrated in color in the catalogue p. 114

Original canvas. The impasto is intact. Under ultra violet light, there is no evidence of retouching. This work is in excellent original condition. Colors: Overall the colors, especially the blues, are brighter than they appear in the catalogue illustration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Towards the end of his life, Chagall's aesthetic vocabulary was so well established that he was able to tackle a wide variety of subjects on a single canvas (see fig. 1).  This splendid oil from 1975, with its combination of biblical, folkloric and personal symbolism, encompasses many of the themes for which the artist is renowned.  Lovers, flowers, animals and religious iconography adorn a spectacularly colorful tree, set against a bright field of blue and deep purple.   "That he is a Russian may account for his surprising Byzantine color," the art historian and curator Katherine Kuh once remarked, "but scarcely explains his indifference to normal laws of gravity" (Katherine Kuh, "The Pleasure of Chagall's Paintings," 1961, in Jacob Baal-Teshuva, Chagall: A Retrospective, New York, 1995,  p. 149).

The title of this picture refers to the Biblical prophesy of Isaiah:  "And there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots"  (Isaiah 11:1-3).  Jesse was the father of King David, the leader of the Israelites portrayed in the Book of Samuel.  According to the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Jesus Christ was also a descendant of King David, and therefore the geneology of Jesse is spiritually resonant with both Christians and Jews alike.  The 'Tree of Jesse', as this biblical image came to be known, has historically been a common subject for public stained glass windows, such as the one in Chartres Cathedral (see fig. 3).  Chagall himself was active on several commissions of stained glass windows around the time he painted this work, so iconic examples of this medium were undoubtedly on his mind.  In fact, Chagall's choice of jewel-like colors and his application of the paint here create the same luminescent quality and transparency as stained glass (see fig. 1).

Chagall himself did not intend for his pictures to be reflective of any particular religious affiliation, despite his very clear use of biblical iconography.  To him, these 'biblical pictures' were an expression of his own imagination and offered up for the interpretations of his audience (see fig. 4).   "Ever since early childhood, I have been captivated by the Bible," Chagall once said.  "It has always seemed to me, and still seems today, the greatest source of poetry of all time.  Ever since then, I have searched for its reflection in life and in art.  The Bible is like an echo of nature and this is the secret I have tried to convey [...]  To my way of thinking, these paintings do not illustrate the dream of a single people, but that of mankind. [...] Works of art should speak for themselves" (quoted in Jacob Baal-Teshuva, Marc Chagall, 1887-1985, Cologne, 1998,  p. 207).

Even when he was painting his depictions of lovers, who were understood to be references to Chagall and his wife, the artist encouraged his audience to enjoy the pictures for their visual splendor rather than their iconographical associations.  According to Katherine Kuh, Chagall's paintings "are to be looked at - not interpreted. [...]  He is not illustrating dreams, fantasies, or folk legends; in short, he is not an illustrator, nor is he a mystic or a symbolist, as is so commonly said.  For Chagall tells us clearly that his problem is a visual one;  his only restrictions those which involve looking and seeing" (Katherine Kuh, op. cit., p. 150).