The Sources of Music and The Triumph of Music are two murals that Marc Chagall painted in 1966 for the Metropolitan Opera House at the Lincoln Center in New York City.
| The Sources of Music and The Triumph of Music | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The murals can be seen behind the outer windows; Triumph (left), Sources (right) | |
| Artist | Marc Chagall |
| Year | 1966 |
| Location | New York City |
| Owner | Metropolitan Opera House |
Following a commission by the Metropolitan House for Chagall's set and costume design for Mozart's The Magic Flute for its inaugural season,[1] the murals were created for the lobby of the opera house, and are visible to the outside plaza. The murals are approximately 30 ft (9.1 m) by 36 ft (11 m). The south wall holds the work entitled The Triumph of Music while the north wall contains The Sources of Music.[2] Chagall had intended the reverse of this arrangement.[3]
The director of the Metropolitan Opera, Rudolf Bing, is depicted in one of the murals playing a mandolin.[4] The composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is depicted in The Triumph of Music, flying above Manhattan and interacting with characters from his opera The Magic Flute.[5]
Collateral edit
In 2009, the Met's board of directors decided to use the paintings as collateral for a long-term loan which previously relied on cash for backing. Some sources estimate the value of the paintings at $20 million.[6] The murals were put up as collateral by the Metropolitan Opera for a loan during the Great Recession in the United States in March 2009.[7] Their assessed value was not stated.[7] The paintings remained in the lobby of the opera house.[7]
References edit
- ^ "Chagall: Colour and Music". Art History News (review of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts exhibition, January 28 to June 11, 2017). February 25, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ "Met Opera offers Chagall murals as loan collateral". CBC News. March 3, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
- ^ Erika Stark (July 13, 2017). "The NYC Met Opera's 50th Anniversary and Murals of Marc Chagall: Art Imitating Life". Untapped New York. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ Pahlmann, William (17 September 1966). "Traditional opulence of opera blended with modern design". Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved 13 October 2023.[need quotation to verify]
- ^ Alastair Smart. "'When Matisse dies, Chagall will be the only painter left who understands what colour really is' – Pablo Picasso, 1954". Christie's. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ Orden, Erica (February 6, 2009). "Met Borrows Against Lobby Chagalls". New York. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Chagall murals are collateral". Poughkeepsie Journal. 3 March 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
External links edit
- "The Triumph of Music", poster, Met Opera Shop
- "Marc Chagall and the Opera, a Love that Never Died: A Look into what Inspired Marc Chagall's Lithographs", Masterworks Fine Art Gallery, Palo Alto
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