Marc Chagall

Estate of the artist

Acquired from the above by the family of the present owner

Paris, Galerie Maeght, Marc Chagall, Peintures 1953-1957, 1957, no. 1

Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Marc Chagall, 1959, no. 176, illustrated in the catalogue

Paris, Grand Palais, Hommage à Marc Chagall, 1969-70, no. 145 (titled "Le Cirque (Les Cyclistes)," illustrated p. 172

Hamburg, Kunstverein & Munich, Haus der Kunst, Chagall, 1959, no. 168, illustrated in the catalogue

New York, Perls Galleries, Marc Chagall, Paintings 1955-1964, 1965, no. 6, illustrated in the catalogue

Humlebaek, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Marc Chagall, 1970, no. 76

Montreal, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Marc Chagall, 1985

Saint Paul de Vence, Foundation Maeght, A la rencontre de Jacques Prévert, 1987

Franz Meyer, Marc Chagall, New York, 1964, illustrated in color p. 555

Original canvas. Under ultra-violet light, there is no evidence of retouching. This work is in excellent condition.
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.

"These clowns, these riders, these acrobats have taken up residence in my visions.  Why?  Why am I moved by their makeup and expressions?  With them I approach other horizons.  Their colors and makeup draw me toward other psychic distortions that I long to paint" (M. Chagall, Chagall by Chagall, New York, 1979, p. 172).

"Chagall's circus is at once an unsophisticated show and an allegory of the universe.  Every motif carries its echo with it and all is in a state of flux, at once nature and art, closed stage and open landscape, reality and unreality.... The movement of the color is still more intense in Cyclists.  A blue arc spans the ring, ending up in the shady half of the amphitheater; a yellow one follows the edge of the ring in the opposite direction and joins the dark green that rises as a triangle inside the hoop and forms in turn the starting point of the rocket's trajectory in whose rose-and-white zone the little dancer ascends" (F. Meyer, op. cit., p. 556).