Marc Chagall (French-Russian, 1887-1985), "The Acrobat", 1924. Etching and drypoint on paper. Numbered 133 of 170 in pencil on lower left. Catalogue Raisonne # is Kornfeld 40. Chagall was an incredibly innovative modern artists who always pushed the envelope during the 20th century with his whimsical images of circus performers, green-faced fiddlers, and flying lovers. This vibrant Surrealist composition is simultaneously bewildering and magical! Chagall presents the stuff that wild dreams are made of - a bearded acrobat balancing upon a violin that is defying gravity and carrying a female acrobat over his outstretched arm, as a rooster falls from the sky and a goat-headed tumbler stands on his hands, his snout meeting the violin bow. A wonderful etching by this early modern master! Size: plate measures 16.5" L x 12.875" W (41.9 cm x 32.7 cm); sheet measures 26.25" L x 20" W (66.7 cm x 50.8 cm) Size:

Chagall was truly a poet of the art world. While many of his contemporaries were driven to pursue pure abstraction or non-objectivity, Chagall was faithful to figurative art, albeit with a Surrealist, Expressionist, Cubist, or Suprematist twist. Born in Russia, Chagall moved to France in 1910 where he became a shining star of the Ecole de Paris. As the years went on, Chagall also spent time in the United States as well as the Middle East. His identity as a Jew was very important to him, and in much of his oeuvre, Chagall imbues his modernism with Jewish traditions and imagery. Although many scholars have attempted to decode Chagall's symbolism, this has proven to be a difficult nut to crack. According to Jean-Michel Foray, director of the Marc Chagall Biblical Message Museum in Nice, "Some art historians have sought to decrypt his symbols, but thereÂ’s no consensus on what they mean. We cannot interpret them because they are simply part of his world, like figures from a dream." (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-elusive-marc-chagall-95114921/#4yF3PUQT3jbS8Axk.99)

Provenance: private Lucille Lucas collection, Crested Butte, Colorado, USA

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#134236

Tiny divot to paper at upper right. Otherwise, etching is in overall excellent condition.