Last dance for Chagall's ceiling?
In 1960, when the ceiling of the Opéra Garnier revealed a classical fresco in academic style, André Malraux sought to modernize this Mecca of French culture. It is at Marc Chagall that the Minister of Culture commission the work that will succeed the Muses and Hours of the day and night, by the painter Jules Lenepveu. This choice, which contrasts with the solemnity of the place, scandalizes some, who will be partly satisfied by the removable support used by the painter, which allows the original fresco to be preserved.
In 1964, after four years of renovation work, the institution's reopening ceremony unveiled Chagall's monumental work to the public. Unsurprisingly, the fresco breaks with the harmony of the place, thus meeting Malraux's expectations. The shimmering colors and the play of light create a dreamlike and poetic atmosphere, typical of the artist, and evoke a contemporary Olympus where allegories and representatives of the performing arts intersect. The style, oscillating between impressionism, cubism and surrealism, contributes to the recognition of modern art and French cultural revival.
Marc Chagall, whose international reputation is reinforced by this exceptional commission, shows his gratitude and friendship to André Malraux by representing him on the final work, holding Les Tables de la Loi. In 1965, he sent her a More intimate watercolor, kept by the family for a long time and now available at Galerie AB. Marc Chagall represents a dancer accompanied by a swan, a graphic reference to ballet Swan Lake played at the inauguration of his work.
Although the work is now part of the identity of the Palais Garnier, the rights holders of the original work are now calling for the revaluation of Jules Lenepveu's fresco. If the removal of Marc Chagall's ceiling is not envisaged, the leaders of the institution and the artist's family must meet to find a compromise on May 9, 2023.
To learn more about the challenges of this meeting: Is Chagall's famous ceiling at the Opéra Garnier in danger of being dismantled? / The Chagall ceiling of the Paris Opera
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