This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Le Coq Rouge (The Red Rooster), from the album Chagall, originates from the 1957 edition published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1957. This striking composition captures Chagall’s enduring fascination with rural symbolism, love, and memory, distilled through his vibrant palette and dreamlike imagination. In Le Coq Rouge, the radiant crimson rooster stands as a central figure of vitality, awakening, and spiritual renewal—a recurring motif throughout Chagall’s oeuvre that evokes both the folklore of his native Vitebsk and the universal themes of creation and rebirth. Set against a lyrical background of floating forms and luminous color harmonies, the composition blends the earthly and the celestial, uniting pastoral nostalgia with mystical poetry in a single, timeless image.
Executed as a lithograph on velin paper, this work measures 9.06 x 15.75 inches (23.01 x 40 cm), with centerfold as issued. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superior craftsmanship of the Mourlot Freres atelier, celebrated for its collaborations with the foremost modern artists of the 20th century.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985)
Title: Le Coq Rouge (The Red Rooster), from Chagall, 1957
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 9.06 x 15.75 inches (23.01 x 40 cm), with centerfold as issued
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1957
Publisher: Maeght Editeur, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue raisonne references: Chagall, Marc, and Julien Cain. Chagall Lithographe. Andre Sauret, Editeur, 1960, illustration 203. Cramer, Patrick, and Meret Meyer. Marc Chagall: Catalogue Raisonne Des Livres Illustres. P. Cramer ed., 1995, illustration 34.
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album Chagall, published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, 1957
Notes:
Excerpted from the album (translated from French), This album was printed by Drager Freres in Montrouge on behalf of Maeght Editeur, 13, Rue de Teheran, Paris VIII. The original color lithographs were drawn by Mourlot Freres. The photographs of the works printed are of Y. Hervochon, M. Routhier, Draeger. Copyright 1957.
About the Publication:
The 1957 album Chagall, published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, stands among the most celebrated achievements of postwar art publishing. Each lithograph in the volume exemplifies Chagall’s lyrical imagination and mastery of color, reflecting his poetic dialogue between the visible and the invisible. Through the refined technical collaboration between the artist and the master printers at Mourlot, Chagall’s painterly vision was brought to life on paper with exquisite precision and luminosity. Directed by Aime Maeght, this edition elevated the art of the illustrated album to new creative heights, uniting craftsmanship and artistic expression in a publication that remains a touchstone of modernist printmaking.
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).
Marc Chagall Le Coq...