Printed by

Mourlot Frères, Paris

Published by

Galerie Maeght, Paris

Dimensions

Image: 43.2 × 33 cm (17 × 13 in.)

Sheet: 61.9 × 47.9 cm (24⅜ × 18⅞ in.)

Literature

Charles Sorlier, Chagall Lithographs 1974–1985, André Sauret, 1986, No. 969, illustrated.

Provenance

HW Gallery, Naples, Florida.

Private Collection, Ontario.

Hegel Fine Art Auction, 25 October 2018, Lot 105.

Private Collection, Vancouver, Canada.

Condition

In very good condition.

Catalogue Note

Created during the final years of Marc Chagall's career, La Parade au Cirque belongs to the artist's celebrated circus imagery, a subject that fascinated him throughout his life and became one of the defining themes of his mature work. To Chagall, the circus represented far more than spectacle or entertainment; it was a poetic world in which imagination, fantasy and emotion could exist beyond the constraints of ordinary life.

The composition is filled with vibrant colour and animated movement. Performers, musicians and fantastical figures gather around a striking central rider mounted upon a vivid red animal, while the surrounding space pulses with rhythm and theatrical energy. Characteristically, Chagall dissolves the distinction between reality and dream, allowing figures to float effortlessly through space and transforming the circus into a vision of joy, wonder and enchantment.

The circus occupied a unique position within Chagall's artistic imagination. He often compared the lives of painters, musicians and acrobats, believing all shared a devotion to creativity, performance and the pursuit of beauty. As he once remarked, "For me a circus is a magic show that appears and disappears like a world." This poetic vision permeates La Parade au Cirque, where every figure contributes to a harmonious celebration of movement, colour and human expression.

Printed by the legendary Mourlot workshops and published by Galerie Maeght, this lithograph demonstrates the extraordinary technical refinement achieved in Chagall's late prints. The brilliant colour harmonies, luminous transparency and fluid draftsmanship reveal why his lithographs are regarded among the greatest achievements of twentieth-century printmaking.

Executed only five years before the artist's death, La Parade au Cirque reflects the confidence and lyrical freedom of Chagall's final creative period. Combining radiant colour, theatrical imagination and profound humanity, it stands as an outstanding example of the artist's lifelong fascination with the magical world of the circus.