Marc Chagall, gouache on paper

Updated October 20, 2026

Title: Lovers, Birds, and Rooster in a Dreamlike Village Technique: Gouache on paper Measures: 17 x 14 inches (43.2 x 35.6 cm) Year: Undated Condition: The artwork appears in generally good visual condition based on the photographs supplied. The painted surface displays a rich range of colors, with visible brushwork and variations in pigment application. No significant tears, losses, or major surface damage are apparent in the available images. Presented in a decorative gold-toned frame with a dark inner border. The reverse is covered with a brown backing board and secured with paper tape. Minor signs of handling and wear are visible on the framing materials. Not examined out of the frame. Condition is described from the photographs supplied. Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the condition description. Provenance: Acquired from a gallery in 2010 by a private collector. Visual Description: A richly colored, dreamlike figurative composition bringing together two prominent human faces, animals, birds, and village architecture within an imaginative landscape. On the left, a female figure with a softly inclined head is rendered in luminous shades of turquoise, green, pale yellow, and blue. Her dark, flowing hair frames an elongated face with delicately outlined eyes and red lips. A necklace of small white beads accents her neckline. Above her appears a large green animal, possibly a goat or cow, emerging from the surrounding forms. On the right, a second figure appears in profile, with a blue-green complexion, prominent eye, and flowing dark hair animated by red and yellow accents. A pale, reclining human figure extends across the upper portion of the composition, introducing an additional floating element. A slender tree rises through the center, its branches filled with expressive strokes of red, yellow, orange, green, and blue. Several white birds appear among the foliage, creating points of brightness against the darker background. At the bottom, a multicolored rooster stands prominently in the foreground, while a larger dark bird occupies the lower right. A cluster of small village houses stretches across the lower left, suggesting a rural settlement. In the upper left, a radiant circular sun contains a small bird-like motif. The composition is unified by a muted olive-green and brown background, against which the saturated blues, reds, and yellows create a vivid chromatic contrast. Fluid outlines, expressive brushwork, overlapping forms, and unconventional changes of scale establish a poetic atmosphere in which human figures, animals, and landscape elements coexist. A red painted signature reading “Marc Chagall” appears near the lower left corner. The work's visual vocabulary recalls the lyrical, symbolic, and dreamlike imagery associated with modern figurative painting. This composition reflects stylistic elements commonly associated with major figures in modern and contemporary art. For additional

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