20. 20AR (25540662/1) MARC CHAGALL (1887-1985) The blue fir tree signed 'Marc Chagall' (lower right) ; signed 'Marc Chagall' (reverse) oil on canvas Painted in 1961 51 x 38 cm. 20 1/16 x 14 15/16 in. The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the Comité Marc Chagall. Provenance Galerie Maeght, Paris. Galleria d'Arte del Naviglio, Milan. Private collection, Europe. Landau Fine Art, Switzerland. Private collection, Spain (acquired from it in 2006). Private collection, Spain (by descent). Exhibition Saint-Paul de Vence, Fondation Maeght, Hommage à Marc Chagall. Oeuvres de 1947-1967, 1967, (illustrated p. 61). Le Sapin bleu by Marc Chagall, created in 1961, stands out in many ways. At the time, Chagall was establishing himself as an artistic figure of international renown, in a phase of creative blossoming marked by a profusion of large-scale projects. The 1960s were a period of international consecration for him, marked by prestigious commissions and major exhibitions that consecrated his genius. On the threshold of this decade, Chagall devoted himself to monumental commissions that consolidated his status as an undisputed master of modern art. In 1960, he began work on the stained glass windows of Metz Cathedral, a project of remarkable ambition and innovation that was not completed until 1968. These works in coloured glass reveal his ceaseless exploration of new techniques, reflecting his quest to transcend the boundaries of traditional painting. Through the transparency and luminosity of the stained glass, he further enriched his visual language, infusing his creations with a spiritual and mystical dimension. Alongside these grandiose commissions, Chagall continued to unfold his dreamlike universe through works that celebrated poetry and dreams. 1961 was a particularly prolific year for Chagall, with projects for theatrical sets and public spaces, as well as commissions from the world's most prestigious museums and galleries. The first half of the decade was punctuated by resounding exhibitions in Europe and the United States, which reinforced his international reputation. These events underlined the official recognition of his work, with retrospectives hailing his exceptional contribution to twentieth-century art. On a personal level, the early 1960s were also a period of serenity and fulfilment. Chagall lived in Vence, in the south of France, a place bathed in light where he had settled after the Second World War. The splendour of the Mediterranean region had a profound influence on his work, magnifying his palette with vivid, exultant colours. This enchanting setting, with its sumptuous landscapes and lush vegetation, became an inexhaustible source of inspiration for him. The tranquillity of his life in Vence, shared with his second wife, Valentina "Vava" Brodsky, gives his work a luminous and peaceful dimension, although he always draws on memories of his childhood in Belarus and the legends of his people to nourish his art. The Blue Fir Tree embodies the very essence of Chagall's poetic, dreamlike world, where the real and the fantastic are blended in singular harmony. The brilliant colours, the artist's true signature, create a fairytale atmosphere where striking chromatic contrasts unfold: deep blues interact with luminous yellows, suggesting a spiritual light and a deeply human warmth. This subtle interplay of hues amplifies the emotional charge of the work, a fundamental characteristic of Chagall's painting. The iconography of the canvas is equally rich in evocative symbols. The red horse, a recurring motif in Chagall's work, embodies vital force, freedom and passionate love, while the female figure symbolises tenderness and unconditional love. The inverted village, a surrealist element, echoes the themes of exile and nostalgia for his childhood in Russia, expressing the melancholy of a world turned upside down where the boundaries between memory and reality become blurred. Technically, this work demonstrates Chagall's virtuosity in exploring pictorial space. The forms, floating with airy lightness, give the composition a timeless quality that bewitches the eye. Having reached artistic maturity, Chagall knew how to distil the full richness of his influences: Russian folklore, Jewish spiritual traditions and the boldness of modern art blend harmoniously in compositions of powerful simplicity. Ultimately, this painting stands out not only for its visual splendour, but also for the depth of its message, its abundance of symbolism, and its universal emotional impact, offering total immersion in Marc Chagall's inimitable universe.