1967
Described by art critic Robert Hughes as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century," the Russian-French modernist Marc Chagall worked in nearly every artistic medium. Influenced by Symbolism, Fauvism, Cubism and Surrealism, he developed his own distinctive style, combining avant-garde techniques and motifs with elements drawn from Eastern European Jewish folk art.
Born Moishe Segal in 1887, in Belarus (then part of the Russian empire), Chagall is often celebrated for his figurative paintings, but he also produced stained-glass windows for the cathedrals of Reims and Metz, in France; for the United Nations, in New York; and for the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, as well as book illustrations, stage sets, ceramics, tapestries and fine-art prints. Characterized by a bold color palette and whimsical imagery, his works are often narrative, depicting small-village scenes and quotidian moments of peasant life, as in his late painting The Flight into Egypt from 1980.
Before World War I, Chagall traveled between St. Petersburg, Paris and Berlin. When the conflict broke out, he returned to Soviet-occupied Belarus, where he founded the Vitebsk Arts College before leaving again for Paris in 1922. He fled to the United States during World War II but in 1947 returned to France, where he spent the rest of his life. His peripatetic career left its mark on his style, which was distinctly international, incorporating elements from each of the cultures he experienced.
Marc Chagall remains one of the past century’s most respected talents — find his art on 1stDibs.
L' acrobat rouge (The Red Acrobat), 1974
By Marc Chagall
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Highly expressive and full of momentum, Marc Chagall, The Red Acrobat 1974, conveys circus performers and topsy-turvy figures scattered throughout the composition. The red acrobat to...
Lithograph
Le repas chez Dryas (The Meal at Dryas's House) from Daphnis & Chloé
By Marc Chagall
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created between 1957 and 1960, the series Daphnis & Chloe is regarded as the most important of Chagall's graphic works due to the number and size of the publication. The series of 42...
Lithograph
Carmen
By Marc Chagall
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Color lithograph on Arches wove paper. This work is hand-signed by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887–Saint-Paul, 1985) in black crayon in the lower margin. Numbered 114/200 in the lower right margin. A small inscription in the lower left plate states: 'D'Apres Marc Chagall - Ch. Sorlier Grav,' indicating Charles Sorlier as the engraver of the piece. Printed by Mourlot, Paris for the Editions of the Metropolitan Opera, New York. Catalogue Raisonné: Carmen, 1966, is documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work). 1. Sorlier, Charles. Chagall Lithographs, Vol. V 1974-79. New York: Crown Publishers, 1984. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 39. 2. Sorlier, Charles. Chagall's Posters: A Catalogue Raisonné. New York: Crown Publishers, 1975. Page 110 Upon adapting Carmen to a large-scale format to occupy the height of the façade of the Metropolitan Opera House, “Chagall was indefatigable in attempting time after time to achieve the desired result, with ever-increasing effectiveness” (Sorlier 110). The outcome was a meticulously detailed and marvelous work. Several retouches and color & compositional changes resulted in several months of perfecting the work. Carmen is proof of Chagall’s enduring talent and skill of extracting each color and pushing it to its boldest and brightest to create a scene of dazzling performers set over a dreamy cityscape. This is considered one of Chagall’s best lithographs. In the center of this monumental composition, a whimsical mandolin player captures our attention, dressed in a bright, colorful costume as he twirls his instrument; this musician was later revealed to be the artist’s close confidante, Rudolf Bing, director of the Metropolitan Opera House at the time. It was a secret—yet recognizable—portrait of not only his friend but also the patron who commissioned this piece. Surrounding this central musician, two figures gracefully perform for an awestruck audience. Colorful animals flit throughout the composition, while at the bottom, a city of skyscrapers guides our eye upwards, relaying the impression that the central figures are suspended in midair. From the superb coloration to the joyous expressions of the figures, this magnificent piece transports us to Chagall’s magical, carefree world. Marc Chagall Carmen...
Lithograph
Enlévement de Chloé, from Daphnis and Chloé
By Marc Chagall
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Marc Chagall Enlévement de Chloé (Chloe is carried off by the Methymneans) from Daphnis and Chloé, 1961, is a stunning and gorgeous work of art tha...
Lithograph
Maternité (Maternity), 1954
By Marc Chagall
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created in 1954, this color lithograph is After Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887- Saint-Paul, 1985). Printed on Arches wove paper by Charles Sorlier under the direction of Chagall. This work is numbered 97 from the edition of 300 and there were artist proofs; published by Editions Galerie Maeght, Paris and printed by Charles Sorlier under the direction of Marc Chagall. The color, composition and execution of Marc Chagall Maternité...
Lithograph
Le Fleuve (The River), 1969
By Marc Chagall
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Marc Chagall, Le Fleuve (The River), 1969, is full of rich textural tones and hues, this work displays the sensitive rendering of surreal imagery which evokes a sense of warmth and b...
Lithograph
Composition XXXIV, from: Circus - Paris French Russian Circus
By Marc Chagall
Located in London, GB
This original lithograph in colours is hand signed in pencil by the artist "Marc Chagall" at the lower right margin. It is also numbered 14 in pencil from the edition of 24, at the l...
Lithograph
The Circus : Clowns and Acrobats - Original Lithograph (Mourlot #503)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Paris, IDF
Marc Chagall (1887-1985) The Circus : Clowns and Acrobats, 1967 Original lithograph (Mourlot Workshop) On Arches vellum 42 x 32 cm (c. 17 x 13 in) REFERENCE : Catalog raisonne C...
Lithograph
Pirouette au Cirque Offset Print, Marc Chagall, 1960s, Unframed
By Marc Chagall
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Book page 125 in Chagall Lithographe II (1957-1962), Andre Sauret, Paris, 1963. Reproduction of lithograph created in 1960. Book text in French by Fernand Mourlot. It is the second...
Offset
The Circus : On Stage - Original Lithograph (Mourlot #526)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Paris, IDF
Marc Chagall (1887-1985) The Circus : On Stage, 1967 Original lithograph (Mourlot Workshop) On Arches vellum 42 x 32 cm (c. 17 x 13 in) REFERENCE : Catalog raisonne Chagall Lith...
Lithograph
The Circus, Lithograph by Marc Chagall
By Marc Chagall
Located in Long Island City, NY
Marc Chagall, Russian (1887 - 1985) - The Circus, Portfolio: Lithographs Book I, Year: 1960, Medium: Lithograph, Size: 13 x 9.75 in. (33.02 x 24.77 cm), Printer: Mourlot Freres, Par...
Lithograph
The Circus : The Spirit of the Circus - Original Lithograph (Mourlot #509)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Paris, IDF
Marc Chagall (1887-1985) The Circus : The Spirit of the Circus, 1967 Original lithograph (Mourlot Workshop) On Arches vellum 42 x 32 cm (c. 17 x 13 in) REFERENCE : Catalog raiso...
Lithograph
