Marc Chagall
1887-1985 I Russian

Couple dans la nuit
(Couple in the night)

Signature stamp of the estate "Marc Chagall" (lower right)
Tempera and India ink on Masonite

Couple dans la nuit captures Marc Chagall’s profound engagement with both spiritual and earthly love. Completed near the end of his life, this masterful work employs the vivid color palette and ethereal figures for which Chagall is renowned. The painting explores the duality of love—one side heavenly, the other human and sensual—creating a rich, symbolic narrative through the juxtaposition of these two worlds.

On the top right, Chagall's signature blue dominates, a hue emblematic of the artist’s connection to his spirituality. Within this celestial blue floats an angel, a donkey and a circus performer, all symbols of purity and innocence. The donkey, often interpreted as a representation of Chagall's daughter Ida, connects the work to themes of familial love. This imagery reflects Chagall’s deep roots in religious iconography, a fusion of his Hasidic Jewish upbringing and the Christian influences he encountered during his time in France. The figures in this section of the composition evoke the divine love Chagall associated with God and his children.

In stark contrast, the bottom right of the composition is drenched in red, symbolizing the fiery passion of human love. The lovers, a frequent motif in Chagall’s oeuvre, embody earthly desire and connection. Yet the presence of an angel hovering above them lends a sense of sanctity to their embrace, suggesting that their union is blessed by divine power. The woman’s bouquet, another recurring symbol in Chagall’s work, serves as a visual metaphor for love’s beauty and fragility. The inclusion of a goat, tied to Chagall’s Jewish heritage and the Yom Kippur ritual of atonement, adds further depth to the lovers' narrative, suggesting a purification of their sins through love.

Executed in 1984, Couple dans la nuit stands as a late testament to Chagall’s ability to weave together personal history, religious symbolism and universal themes of love and redemption. His unique blend of mysticism and human emotion in this work cements his legacy as one of the most expressive and visionary artists of the 20th century.

Marc Chagall was born in Vitebsk, Russia, to a large, close-knit Jewish family of herring merchants. He began studying painting in 1906 under the famed artist Yehuda Pen. In 1907, he moved to St. Petersburg and joined the school of the Society of Art Supporters. In 1910, Chagall relocated to Paris to be near the art community of the Montparnasse district, and he would eventually become a French citizen. Amongst the turmoil of the 20th century, including the Soviet regime and the outbreak of WWII, Chagall would continue to move between Russia, France and the United States throughout his life. Chagall died at the age of 97 in Saint-Paul de Vence, France, in 1985, leaving behind an incredible body of work that is unquestionably one of the most celebrated of the 20th century. His paintings have remained prized highlights in public and private collections alike, with works belonging to important institutions across the globe including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Tate Modern in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

This work is accompanied by its certificate of authenticity issued by Meret Meyer, on behalf of the Comite Chagall, dated 21 December 2023 (no.2023386).

Painted 1984

Canvas: 13 1/2“ high x 10” wide (35.2 x 27 cm)
Framed: 22 7/8“ high x 19 5/8” wide x 2“ deep (58 x 50 x 5 cm)

Provenance:
Estate of the artist
Private collection, London