Executed between 1977-1978, Chagall’s ‘Célébration du couple à Saint-Paul’ is a resplendent tapestry of romance and nostalgia, skilfully weaving together poetic motifs from the artist’s past and present in a vibrant symphony of colour.

The centrepiece of the work is an embracing couple floating above Saint-Paul de Vence, an idyllic village in the Côte d'Azur where Chagall settled in 1966 with his second wife Valentina ‘Vava’ Brodsky. The use of luminous colours, a hallmark of Chagall's mature period, bathes the scene in an incandescent glow. Merged with the exuberance of the gouache is a subtle melancholic nostalgia, as the couple are framed by emblematic iconography which represent Chagall’s past. The artist’s visual autobiography unfolds through motifs which appear frequently in Chagall’s work, referencing his first wife Bella – his great lost love – and his roots in the Jewish market town of Vitebsk. At the centre of the composition, like a fiery red sun, is a bouquet. A compelling symbol of romantic love frequent in the artist’s oeuvre, here the image bursts forth in spirited strokes and infuses the composition with energy.

By 1978, Chagall was a celebrated artist at the height of success and had completed monumental commissions in the forms of murals, tapestries, and stained glass windows in important locations like the Paris Opera House, the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and the Reims Cathedral in France. ‘Célébration du couple à Saint-Paul’ captures the contentedness and optimism of the twilight years of his life, while reminiscing on and paying tribute to his past.