La Jongleuse
Artist: Marc Chagall
Date: Design 1960, woven 1980
Dimensions: 156 × 120 cm (61 × 47 in.)
Material: Handwoven wool tapestry
Manufacture: Atelier Pinton, Aubusson
Edition: 6 + 2
Signature: Woven signature on label, reverse
Condition: Excellent
The La Jongleuse tapestry by Marc Chagall is a poetic and richly symbolic composition that exemplifies the artist’s ability to translate his dreamlike visual language into textile form. Based on a design from 1960 and woven in 1980 by Atelier Pinton in Aubusson, the work reflects one of the most significant collaborations in the 20th-century revival of tapestry as a modern art medium.
At the center of the composition is the figure of a female juggler, a motif that embodies balance, movement, and performance. Around her, Chagall’s characteristic imagery unfolds—floating figures, animals, and symbolic forms that exist in a space unconstrained by gravity or conventional perspective. These elements are not arranged according to narrative logic but instead follow an emotional and poetic rhythm, creating a composition that feels both intimate and expansive.
Color is essential to the work’s expressive power. Chagall’s palette of deep blues, luminous reds, and radiant greens creates a jewel-like intensity that defines the composition. These colors are applied in distinct zones, allowing each element to maintain its clarity while contributing to the overall harmony of the piece. The woven medium enhances this effect, giving the colors a softness and depth that shifts subtly with light.
The collaboration with Atelier Pinton was central to the successful translation of Chagall’s paintings into tapestry. The workshop’s technical precision allows for the preservation of fine details while adapting the fluidity of painted forms into the structured language of weaving. The result is a work that retains the spontaneity and emotion of the original design while gaining a tactile and architectural presence.
Chagall’s broader practice—spanning painting, stained glass, and tapestry—was deeply rooted in themes of memory, spirituality, and cultural identity. La Jongleuse reflects these concerns, presenting a world where reality and imagination coexist seamlessly.
Woven in an edition of six with two artist’s proofs and bearing the artist’s signature on a wool label affixed to the reverse, this tapestry stands as a refined example of Chagall’s enduring legacy in textile art—where narrative, color, and craftsmanship come together in a unified, immersive composition.
