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Lot Essay
SOLD WITH A PHOTO-CERTIFICATE FROM THE COMITé MARC CHAGALL DATED PARIS, LE 19 DéCEMBRE 1990.
"IT IS ONLY AS THE DEAD SPOILS OF THE ANGLER THAT THE FISH BELONGS TO THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT OF MAN. THE WATERY DEPTHS IN WHICH IT PASSES ITS LIFE ARE, LIKE THE DEPTHS OF THE HUMAN SOUL, AN ALIEN REGION, AND THE FISH SYMBOLISES POWERS REMOTE FROM MAN'S CONSCIOUSNESS. THE FACT OF ITS SAILING THROUGH THE SKY CONSTITUTES A VIOLENT INCURSION FROM THE DEPTHS INTO THE WORLD OF AIR AND LIGHT. AN ILLUMINATED RUSSIAN MANUSCRIPT OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY SHOWS DEVILS TEMPTING A HERMIT; ONE OF THE TEMPTATIONS CONSISTS IN HOLDING A FISH BEFORE THE WINDOW OF HIS CELL, SYMBOL OF THE INSTINCTS FROM WHICH THE HOLY MAN WANTS TO FREE HIMSELF. CHAGALL'S PICTURES EXPRESS, INSTEAD, A WILL OPPOSED TO THAT OF THE HOLY MAN; THE SENSUAL EXPERIENCE, NOT AS A LIMITED DRIVE BUT AS A COMPLETE SPIRITUAL REALITY WHICH MUST BE RESTORED TO ITS PLACE IN THE WHOLE RANGE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND THEREFORE SEEKS EXPRESSION. THE FISH SYMBOLISES ONE ELEMENTARY ASPECT OF THIS PROCESS. THE SYMBOL OF ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE SAME LEVEL IS THE COCK." (F. MEYER, OP.CIT. P. 380).
IN LE POISSON VOLANT OF 1956, CHAGALL DEPICTS THE POWERFUL DREAMWORLD OF THE UNCONSCIOUS THROUGH THE DRAMATIC IMAGE OF A FISH DOMINATING THE NIGHT SKY. A SYMBOL OF THE "DEPTHS" OF THE UNCONSCIOUS AND OF WATER AND THE MOON, THIS ELONGATED AND SLEEPY LOOKING FISH STRETCHES ACROSS THE NOCTURNAL SEASCAPE CONVEYING BOTH A SENSE OF THE CALMNESS AND THE FANTASTIC DREAMWORLD OF SLEEP. WITH ITS CRESCENT MOON, REFLECTED IN THE MIDNIGHT WATER, UPTURNED SAIL BOAT AND SLEEPING FISHERMAN, ALL "DROWNED" IN A RADIANT DARK BLUE, THE IMAGERY OF THE PAINTING POETICALLY EXPRESSES THE WORLD OF UNCONSCIOUS IMAGINATION TO WHICH CHAGALL WAS SO DRAWN.
"IT IS ONLY AS THE DEAD SPOILS OF THE ANGLER THAT THE FISH BELONGS TO THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT OF MAN. THE WATERY DEPTHS IN WHICH IT PASSES ITS LIFE ARE, LIKE THE DEPTHS OF THE HUMAN SOUL, AN ALIEN REGION, AND THE FISH SYMBOLISES POWERS REMOTE FROM MAN'S CONSCIOUSNESS. THE FACT OF ITS SAILING THROUGH THE SKY CONSTITUTES A VIOLENT INCURSION FROM THE DEPTHS INTO THE WORLD OF AIR AND LIGHT. AN ILLUMINATED RUSSIAN MANUSCRIPT OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY SHOWS DEVILS TEMPTING A HERMIT; ONE OF THE TEMPTATIONS CONSISTS IN HOLDING A FISH BEFORE THE WINDOW OF HIS CELL, SYMBOL OF THE INSTINCTS FROM WHICH THE HOLY MAN WANTS TO FREE HIMSELF. CHAGALL'S PICTURES EXPRESS, INSTEAD, A WILL OPPOSED TO THAT OF THE HOLY MAN; THE SENSUAL EXPERIENCE, NOT AS A LIMITED DRIVE BUT AS A COMPLETE SPIRITUAL REALITY WHICH MUST BE RESTORED TO ITS PLACE IN THE WHOLE RANGE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND THEREFORE SEEKS EXPRESSION. THE FISH SYMBOLISES ONE ELEMENTARY ASPECT OF THIS PROCESS. THE SYMBOL OF ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE SAME LEVEL IS THE COCK." (F. MEYER, OP.CIT. P. 380).
IN LE POISSON VOLANT OF 1956, CHAGALL DEPICTS THE POWERFUL DREAMWORLD OF THE UNCONSCIOUS THROUGH THE DRAMATIC IMAGE OF A FISH DOMINATING THE NIGHT SKY. A SYMBOL OF THE "DEPTHS" OF THE UNCONSCIOUS AND OF WATER AND THE MOON, THIS ELONGATED AND SLEEPY LOOKING FISH STRETCHES ACROSS THE NOCTURNAL SEASCAPE CONVEYING BOTH A SENSE OF THE CALMNESS AND THE FANTASTIC DREAMWORLD OF SLEEP. WITH ITS CRESCENT MOON, REFLECTED IN THE MIDNIGHT WATER, UPTURNED SAIL BOAT AND SLEEPING FISHERMAN, ALL "DROWNED" IN A RADIANT DARK BLUE, THE IMAGERY OF THE PAINTING POETICALLY EXPRESSES THE WORLD OF UNCONSCIOUS IMAGINATION TO WHICH CHAGALL WAS SO DRAWN.