Marc Chagall - The Circus at l’Arc-en-Ciel [1969-70]

Filled with an eclectic cast of characters, from a violin-playing clown with a goat’s head, to an acrobat balancing precariously on one leg in mid-air, the scene is bursting with the riotous energy of the performance, a rich, whimsical atmosphere radiating outwards into the viewer’s space. As Chagall noted, “It is a magic world, circus, a timeless dancing game where tears and smiles, the play of arms and legs take the form of great art.”

 

[Christie’s, New York - Gouache, watercolour, pastel and black Conté crayon over pencil on Japan paper, 91 x 60.5 cm]

Done