This summer, Sotheby’s Monaco will play host to a solo exhibition of 22 exceptional works of art by Marc Chagall, shining a spotlight on the artist’s last three decades spent in the south of France, as well as fine jewellery and luxury watches.
Marc Chagall’s life-long love affair with the French Riviera sparked a profusion of joyful imagery and rich colour palettes that enriched the figures that populate his beguiling dreamworlds. From the moment he arrived in Vence in 1949, Chagall was captivated by the Mediterranean light, later choosing to settle permanently in Saint Paul de Vence from 1966 to 1985, having divided his time between Russia and France.
In these works on display from 3rd July to 15th September, all of Chagall’s favourite themes are beautifully evoked – from the embracing couple and the blooming bouquet of flowers to the appearance of the Moon and the donkey – whilst being imbued with light and visibility brightened by the influence of the picturesque region and coastal landscape.
Among the key pieces on view is La Sirène au Poète. A quintessentially lyrical work produced in preparation for a lithograph in 1967, it encapsulates Chagall’s love of experimentation and the thorough research he carried out. The central figures – a poet and a siren lost in each other’s gaze – and the double moon are highlighted by the choice of a vivid, contrasting chromatic palette, playing out harmoniously on a large-format.
A further highlight is Le Porteur de Croix, representative of Chagall’s fascination with religion, and particularly the Bible, a source of much inspiration throughout his oeuvre. The work was produced following the publication of the artist’s illustrated Old Testament for legendary art dealer Ambroise Vollard, and harks back to earlier paintings on this theme.
The full list of works on view, all of which were formerly in the artist’s estate, can be found on the website: www.sothebys.com/Monaco.
Contemporary jewellers and more
Alongside the art is a curated edit of luxury pieces available for immediate purchase, including fine jewellery, watches and handbags.
The highlight of the luxury curation is a series of four contemporary jewellery collections by some of the most original and sought-after emerging designers in the world today.
Hannah Martin, Silvia Furmanovich, Lola Fenhirst and MJ Jones are the designers headlining the luxury selling exhibition, contributing nearly 30 pieces collectively that will all be presented for the first time in Monaco.
Beyond the contemporary jewellery selection, the selling exhibition features 10 beautiful fine watches, worth a combined €1.2 million, by Rolex, Patek Philippe and Voutilainen, and several rare handbags by Hèrmes.
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Featured image: Chagall – Gouache préparatoire pour la lithographie d’interprétation Sirène au poète; Hannah Martin – Delirium Trance Amulet; Rolex, 6265, yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with champagne dial, circa 1979, €215,000
By Monaco Life with press release