La Flûte Enchantée (The Magic Flute)

Marc Chagall’s "La Flûte Enchantée" ("The Magic Flute," 1967) is a vivid color lithograph created to honor Mozart’s iconic opera. Rendered in brilliant blues, greens, and touches of flame red and gold, the composition features a central, celestial figure—an angel or muse—playing a golden flute, floating above a fantastical garden landscape. Around the figure, a blend of animals, mythic beasts (including a lion and a snake), and birds infuse the image with wonder and allegory. Chagall’s swirling foliage, lyric animals, and surreal, childlike spirit create an enchanting atmosphere that echoes the magical and transformative qualities of the opera itself.

Artistic and Social Context "La Flûte Enchantée" was made around the time Chagall executed his monumental murals for the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. This lithograph reflects both his passion for music and his theatrical imagination. It belongs to a period where Chagall frequently drew on musical themes, translating opera and symphony into visions filled with color, fantasy, and emotional resonance. The work speaks to Chagall’s belief in art as a universal language, one that can bridge the worlds of music, myth, and everyday life through playful, dreamlike imagery.

Interpretation and Meaning The floating angel-musician symbolizes the transformative power of music, acting as a bridge between earthly beings and the divine. Surrounding animals—some peaceful, some fierce—suggest the opera’s themes of trial, courage, and spiritual harmony. The surreal blues and golds evoke both daytime clarity and nighttime wonder, while the lively, nearly childlike details invite viewers into a world where art and sound become magical realities. Throughout, Chagall’s style celebrates love, purity, and the redemptive possibilities of the imagination.

Size The original lithograph "La Flûte Enchantée" typically measures around 76 x 55 cm (29 7/8 x 21 5/8 inches), though sizes may vary slightly by edition.