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Lithograph in colours, 1980, on Arches paper, signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 50, published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, image: 94 x 69.9 cm. (37 x 23 ½ in.), sheet: 115.6 x 75.6 cm. (45 ½ x 29 ¾ in.)
‘Les Deux Rives’ depicts a dream-like Parisian landscape. From the height and centrality of the bridge, one can view the iconic Seine River flowing between the two banks, or ‘les deux rives’. Flowing across the city, the Seine separates Paris into the Rive Droite and Rive Gauche, the right and left banks. Having spent the formative and central years of his artistic career in Paris, from 1910-14 and again from 1923-40, Chagall became captivated with its beauty and featured aspects of the city extensively in his works. The human and animal figures in this piece are typical of Chagall’s imagery and predominantly recur throughout his work. The artist’s first wife and childhood love, Bella, was also the subject of many works, believed to be represented in the image of the lovers, while the horse is often thought to have been used by the artist to represent himself.
