Highly expressive and full of momentum, Marc Chagall L' acrobat rouge (The Red Acrobat) conveys circus performers and topsy-turvy figures scattered throughout the composition.

The red acrobat to the left hand stands upon a blue horse, as if preparing to tumble through the air. To his right, a man who bears a striking resemblance to the artist himself cheers the acrobat on. Behind these central figures, we witness a village scene complete with quaint homes, roosters, and a mother lovingly holding her child. These onlookers surround the red acrobat and his fellow performers, suggesting that the red acrobat is worthy of attracting an eager audience.

For Chagall, the circus was far more than spectacle—it was a poetic world of fantasy, emotion, and human resilience. Throughout his career, acrobats, clowns, and performers became recurring symbols within his work, embodying themes of imagination, freedom, and the delicate balance between joy and melancholy. Drawn to the theatrical energy and dreamlike atmosphere of the circus, Chagall often portrayed its performers as weightless, floating figures suspended between reality and memory. In The Red Acrobat, this fascination is beautifully realized, as the performers merge seamlessly with the surrounding village and its inhabitants, transforming the scene into a lyrical meditation on celebration, community, and the enduring wonder of everyday life.

Created in 1974, Épreuve d'artiste, as documented in the catalogue raisonné, with the writing in pencil in the lower left, aside from the numbered edition of 50 and hand-signed by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887 - Saint-Paul, 1985) in pencil in the lower right.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Marc Chagall L' acrobat rouge (The Red Acrobat), 1974 is fully documented and referenced in the catalogue raisonnés and texts below (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices accompanying the final sale of the work).

1. Gauss, Ulrike, ed. Marc Chagall: The Lithographs, La Collection Sorlier. Stuttgart: D.A.P., 1960. Listed as catalogue raisonné no. 717 on pg. 317-318.
2. Sorlier, C. (1984) Chagall Lithographs, vol. V 1974 - 1979, Crown Publishers: New York. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 717 on pg. 29.
3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:

Framed to archival museum grade conservation standards, Marc Chagall L' acrobat rouge (The Red Acrobat), 1974 is framed in a complementary moulding with silk mats and optical grade Plexiglas.

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