This exquisite lithograph after Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Le Lac des Cygnes (Swan Lake), from the album Le plafond de l’Opera de Paris par Marc Chagall (The Ceiling of the Paris Opera by Marc Chagall), originates from the 1965 edition published by Andre Sauret, Editeur, Monte Carlo, rendered by Charles Sorlier, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, October 6, 1965. This poetic and radiant composition celebrates Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s timeless ballet, Swan Lake, which inspired Chagall’s vision for the ceiling of the Palais Garnier. Le Lac des Cygnes embodies the lyrical grace and emotional beauty of music and dance, transforming movement into color and light. Through his signature dreamlike imagery—figures floating amidst a symphony of blues and golds—Chagall evokes both the fluidity of choreography and the transcendence of art. The work stands as a testament to Chagall’s ability to translate sound and spirit into a harmonious visual language.
Executed as a lithograph on velin paper, this work measures 13 x 9.5 inches (33.02 x 24.13 cm). Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the technical mastery of the Mourlot Freres atelier and the enduring collaboration between Marc Chagall and Charles Sorlier.
Artwork Details:
Artist: After Marc Chagall (1887–1985)
Title: Le Lac des Cygnes (Swan Lake), from Le plafond de l’Opera de Paris par Marc Chagall (The Ceiling of the Paris Opera by Marc Chagall)
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 13 x 9.5 inches (33.02 x 24.13 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1965
Publisher: Andre Sauret, Editeur, Monte Carlo
Rendered by: Charles Sorlier, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue raisonne references: Cain, Julien, and Fernand Mourlot. Chagall Lithographe III, 1962–1968. Andre Sauret, Editeur, 1969, illustration 434. Cramer, Patrick, and Meret Meyer. Marc Chagall: Catalogue Raisonne Des Livres Illustres. P. Cramer ed., 1995, illustration 61.
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album Le plafond de l’Opera de Paris par Marc Chagall (The Ceiling of the Paris Opera by Marc Chagall), published by Andre Sauret, Editeur, Monte Carlo, October 6, 1965, in an edition of V̅
Notes:
Excerpted from the album, This work could not have been made without the valuable collaboration of Madame Marc Chagall to whom we extend our warmest thanks. This work, made by Andre Sauret, was completed to print on October 6, 1965 on the presses of l’imprimerie du Lion in Paris. Jacques Lassaigne’s texts were composed by hand in Romain du Roi in the workshops of l’imprimerie nationale. The VI color lithographies and all the black and white drawings were set on stone by Charles Sorlier, based on Marc Chagall’s original models. The original lithography and color lithographs were drawn on the presses of Mourlot Freres. The binding is by Maurice Busenhart in Lausanne.
About the Publication:
Le plafond de l’Opera de Paris par Marc Chagall (The Ceiling of the Paris Opera by Marc Chagall), published in October 1965 by Andre Sauret, Editeur, Monte Carlo, commemorates one of the most ambitious and celebrated artistic commissions of the 20th century. Created under the direction of Charles Sorlier, the album documents Chagall’s magnificent ceiling design for the Palais Garnier in Paris, unveiled in 1964. The publication includes color lithographs based on the artist’s preparatory studies and painted maquettes, executed with exceptional fidelity by Mourlot Freres. Chagall’s ceiling—divided into segments representing musical masters such as Mozart, Wagner, Berlioz, Ravel, and Debussy—blends myth, music, and emotion into a vibrant celestial composition. The album captures this visionary synthesis through luminous lithography, allowing viewers to experience the grandeur and intimacy of the artist’s monumental work. Produced with the collaboration of Madame Marc Chagall, Charles Sorlier, and Fernand Mourlot, and printed with the precision and artistry for which Andre Sauret’s editions were renowned, this publication stands as both a tribute to Chagall’s genius and a celebration of French art’s enduring dialogue between tradition, innovation, and the divine.
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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