BY DAVID ROSENSTEIN

Marc Chagall’s Les amoureux de Saint-Paul de Vence sold for US$2,193,000 at Phillips in New York, leading a series of notable results for the artist across the auction house’s 2026 sales. The painting was offered on May 19 with an estimate of US$1.5–2 million. All reported prices include buyer’s premium, while estimates exclude that charge.

Painted in France between 1958 and 1960, the oil on canvas measures just 48.9 by 72.1 centimetres—a relatively intimate work carrying a multimillion-dollar price. Lovers float above the village in an expansive blue night, accompanied by flowers and a crescent moon. The composition brings romance and a recognisable place into the same dreamlike space, offering an absorbing example of Chagall’s ability to turn a landscape into an emotional world.

Flowers in Hong Kong, a Window in London

Chagall’s appeal continued at Phillips in Hong Kong, where Bouquet sur fond orange achieved HK$3,612,000 on September 30 against an estimate of HK$1.6–2.4 million. The result added another substantial sale for an artist whose flowers, lovers and imaginative imagery remain instantly recognisable across international collecting markets.

London supplied a further result on October 15, when La fenêtre ouverte ou Vue de la fenêtre sold for £516,000 against an estimate of £300,000–500,000. Taken alongside the New York lovers and the Hong Kong bouquet, the painting adds a third city and another subject to this selection of Phillips results.

An Earlier Work Adds Historical Depth

Earlier in the year, Phillips’ New York morning sale on May 21 recorded US$464,400 for Jeune homme et chèvre, created in 1926–27. The work had an estimate of US$400,000–600,000. Its young man and animal belong to the figurative vocabulary that gives Chagall’s art such a distinctive character, providing an earlier counterpoint to the later lovers.

Born in Vitebsk, in present-day Belarus, the Belarusian-born French artist developed a career inseparable from the international history of modern art. These four sales span different periods and subjects, offering a broader picture than a single headline price. They reflect a collecting audience extending across continents for an artist whose personal, dreamlike language continues to connect with buyers.

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