Les Amoureux (The Lovers), 1951
Lithograph
Edition of 50, Signed
40.8 x 60.9 cm (16 1/8 x 24 in)
'Les Amoureux' is an archetypal work presenting Chagall’s deepest and most intimate depiction of the feeling of love. Dating to a time in which Chagall was particularly lonesome, given that his daughter Ida was to be married in January 1952, the lithograph represents the artist’s commemoration of his great love, Bella Rosenfeld, whom he was devoted to.
The simple depiction of the two lovers caught in a touching romantic moment under a night sky is complemented by Chagall’s typical representation of a small village, which leads back to his idea of home. Chagall, who had spent his life running from one place to another, most of the time for reasons of survival, had strong links to his idealised memory of his birthplace, and 'Les Amoureux' explores the artist’s relationship to it.
