Marc Chagall’s La Joie (Joy), 1980 exemplifies another one of Chagall’s timeless depictions of romance against the Parisian landscape. The couple at the center of the composition embodies the joy referenced in the title of this work. The male and female figures lean into each other and echo the form of the Eiffel Tower in the background to the left of the composition. Their intertwined bodies become the monument of the image, towering over River Seine and the diminutive landscape at their feet. The figure at the top of the composition and the violin player at the bottom not only visually complement each other but also frame the figures in the center. The pastel blue and mint green that fill the background and foreground contrast the crimson dress of the female figure, further highlighting the figures at the center. Marc Chagall’s La Joie (Joy), 1980 stages the beauty of human connection by reimaging Paris’ iconic landmarks through a dreamlike composition.

Created in 1980, Marc Chagall’s La Joie (Joy), 1980 is a color lithograph on Arches paper. This work is hand-signed by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887 - Saint-Paul, 1985) in the lower right margin. Numbered from edition of 50 in the lower left margin.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Marc Chagall’s La Joie (Joy), 1980 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Gauss, Ulrike. Marc Chagall: The Lithographs. The Sorlier collection. Edited by Ulrike Gauss et. al. New York: Distributed Art Publishers., Inc., 1999. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 976.
2. Mourlot, Fernand. The Lithographs of Chagall, vol. II 1957-1962. Monté Carlo, 1960. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 976.
3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Marc Chagall’s La Joie (Joy), 1980 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.