Year: 1967
Medium: lithograph in colors
Dimensions: image: 42 x 32.2 cm (16 1/2 x 12 3/4 in.) Sheet: 51.9 x 37.9 cm (20 3/8 x 14 7/8 in.)
Edition: #13 of 24 (there is also a book edition of 250)
Acquired from Sotheby’s, 2022
Known as the École de Paris (School of Paris), Chagall was based in France, which was at the cutting-edge art power in the first half of the 20th century. Among Cubists such as Picasso, surrealists, Modigliani, and Matisse were actively working in close proximity, Chagall as a painter maintained his unique approach, yet effectively incorporating elements from various artistic movements and keeping his concreteness. This work is one of the pieces in a series of 38 monotype works entitled “Le Cirque” (Circus). For Chagall, who has suffered while growing up as a Jewish Russian, the circus was both a symbol of entertainment and a reminder of the gap between harsh ethnic reality and hedonistic unreality. He repeatedly depicted the circus as a theme and often spoke of it as a tragic metaphor. This work is known as “The Female Acrobat in White” in Japan and is especially popular within the series. It is impressive for its characteristic deep blue, favored by Chagall, along with the clown's striking white costume. Despite his identity as a Jewish artist, Chagall often incorporated many religious expressions under the theme of the bible (Christianity). In Christian religious paintings, blue (veil) and white (lily) are also an attribute of the Virgin Mary, and Chagall continued to paint in blue as a symbol of love and faith.
