This exquisite lithograph after Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Odysseus als Bettler verkleidet (Odysseus Disguised as a Beggar), from Homer, Die Odyssee (The Odyssey), originates from the 1989 German-language folio published by Daco-Verlag Gunter Blase, Stuttgart, and printed by Lichtdruck AG, Zurich, Dielsdorf, September 1989. This authorized edition, issued under the direction of Vava Chagall, presents one of Chagall’s most poignant and psychologically rich interpretations of Homer’s epic. In Odysseus als Bettler verkleidet, Chagall captures the disguised hero’s humility and quiet strength as he returns to his home in Ithaca, his identity concealed yet his spirit undiminished—a profound meditation on endurance, wisdom, and the human condition.
Executed on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Miliani AG, Fabriano paper, this lithograph measures 14.88 x 11.69 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. The edition exemplifies the exceptional quality and precision of Lichtdruck AG’s craftsmanship, reproducing the depth and richness of Chagall’s original lithographs with remarkable fidelity.
Artwork Details:
Artist: After Marc Chagall (1887–1985)
Title: Odysseus als Bettler verkleidet (Odysseus Disguised as a Beggar), from Homer, Die Odyssee (The Odyssey), 1989
Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Miliani AG, Fabriano paper
Dimensions: 14.88 x 11.69 inches
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued
Date: 1989
Publisher: Daco-Verlag Gunter Blase, Stuttgart
Printer: Lichtdruck AG, Zurich, Dielsdorf
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the folio Homer, Die Odyssee (The Odyssey), Daco-Verlag Gunter Blase, Stuttgart, 1989
Notes:
Excerpted from the folio (translated from German), Imprint—The French edition, L'Odyssée, with the original lithographs by Marc Chagall was published in 1974/75 in a CCL-example edition by Fernand Mourlot, Paris. In 1989, with the authorization of Mrs. Vava Chagall, the German-language edition of the Odyssey in two volumes was published by Daco-Verlag Gunter Blase, Stuttgart. Volume I contains the songs I - XII with XX color plates, including IV on double pages and XIX gray printed reproductions in the text. Volume II contains the songs XIII - XXIV with XXIII color plates, including II on double pages and XX gray printed reproductions in the text. For the German text, the prose translation by Wolfgang Schadewaldt was chosen with the permission of Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, Reinbek near Hamburg. Set design in the Berthold Garamond Antiqua by F+M Bauer, Stuttgart. The printing production was carried out by Lichtdruck AG in Zurich/Dielsdorf. The color lithographs were reproduced in VIII - XII colors in the raster-free Granolitho process. The 210 g Butten used was specially produced by Papierwerke Miliani AG in Fabriano, Italy. The bookbinding processing was at Atelier Stemmle AG, Zurich. Responsible for the cover design: Stephan Gotz. Production and sales: Publishing manager Peter Steinbach. The circulation of the German-language edition is MMD examples, in volume II Arabic numbered by I-MMD. Some examples, designated with H.C., were designated by the publisher for his employees.
About the Publication:
The 1989 German-language edition of Homer's Die Odyssee (The Odyssey) represents a rare and beautifully executed collaboration between the literary and visual arts, authorized by Vava Chagall and produced by Daco-Verlag Gunter Blase in Stuttgart. This two-volume folio brings together Chagall’s luminous illustrations for Homer’s timeless epic, first created for the 1974/75 French edition L’Odyssée published by Fernand Mourlot. Each lithograph was rendered with meticulous attention to color and texture by Lichtdruck AG in Zurich/Dielsdorf using the raster-free Granolitho process, achieving remarkable fidelity to Chagall’s original prints. The edition was printed on fine 250 g/m² Butten paper specially made by Papierwerke Miliani AG, Fabriano, and bound by Atelier Stemmle AG in Zurich. Through its craftsmanship and literary resonance, the Odyssee folio exemplifies the posthumous continuation of Chagall’s vision under the care of Vava Chagall, uniting myth, color, and emotion in a masterful synthesis of art and storytelling.
About the Artist:
Marc Chagall (1887–1985) was a Belarus-born French painter, printmaker, and designer whose visionary imagination, radiant color, and deeply poetic symbolism made him one of the most beloved and influential artists of the 20th century. Rooted in the imagery of his Jewish heritage and the memories of his childhood in Vitebsk, Chagall’s art wove together themes of faith, love, folklore, and fantasy with a dreamlike modern sensibility. His unique style—merging elements of Cubism, Fauvism, Expressionism, and Surrealism—defied categorization, transforming ordinary scenes into lyrical meditations on memory and emotion. Influenced by Russian icon painting, medieval religious art, and the modern innovations of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Georges Braque, Chagall developed a profoundly personal visual language filled with floating figures, vibrant animals, musicians, and lovers that symbolized the transcendent power of imagination and love. During his early years in Paris, he became an integral part of the Ecole de Paris circle, forming friendships with Amedeo Modigliani, Fernand Leger, and Sonia Delaunay, and his creative spirit resonated with that of his peers and successors—Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray—artists who, like Chagall, sought to push the boundaries of perception, emotion, and form. Over a prolific career that spanned painting, printmaking, stained glass, ceramics, and stage design, Chagall brought an unparalleled poetic sensibility to modern art, infusing even the most abstract subjects with human warmth and spiritual depth. His works are held in the most prestigious museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Centre Pompidou, the Tate, and the Guggenheim, where they continue to inspire generations of artists and collectors. The highest price ever paid for a Marc Chagall artwork is approximately $28.5 million USD, achieved in 2017 at Sotheby’s New York for Les Amoureux (1928).
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