Fleurs et couple sur le divan rouge 1975

Editor: This is Marc Chagall’s “Fleurs et couple sur le divan rouge," painted in 1975, using oil paint. The vivid reds of the divan really strike me, especially with the figures lounging there so serenely. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the application of the paint itself. Notice how the pigment is built up in layers, particularly in the flowers and the divan. This impasto technique gives a tangible weight to otherwise ethereal subjects. Consider the materiality of the pigment, ground and mixed, and then applied with intentionality. This labor is embedded in the work. Editor: That’s interesting. So, looking at the process, do you see the choice of oil paint itself as significant? Curator: Absolutely. Oil paint, with its slow drying time, allows for layering and blending, a key component in achieving Chagall's dreamlike atmosphere. It's also traditionally a high art medium, but here it’s applied with a certain freedom, bordering on naive. That tension between high and low is quite compelling. Editor: I see what you mean. It’s almost like he’s elevating the everyday—the flowers, the couple—by depicting them with this traditionally "high" medium. What about the production? Does it play a part in how we consider this art? Curator: Indeed! Chagall created his paintings mostly himself and only delegated elements to other artisans when he was very old, thereby investing a single person's labour and vision into each brushstroke. This hands-on involvement speaks to a certain democratization of the artistic process. Even late in life, he maintained an emphasis on labor and production. Editor: It’s fascinating to think about how the materials and labor shape our understanding. Thank you for that perspective. Curator: It's vital to consider these elements, moving beyond the purely aesthetic to a deeper understanding of the art object.