This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled L’Inspiree (The Inspired Woman), from the album The Lithographs of Chagall, Volume II, originates from the 1963 edition published by Andre Sauret, Editeur, Monte Carlo, and Boston Book and Art Shop, Inc., Boston, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, September 1963. This poetic and ethereal composition captures Chagall’s vision of inspiration as a divine and emotional force. L’Inspiree portrays a woman in quiet reverie, surrounded by luminous colors and dreamlike forms that evoke spiritual awakening and creative transcendence. Radiant blues, tender reds, and golden hues merge in a celestial harmony, symbolizing the unity between the artist, the muse, and the imagination. The composition reflects Chagall’s lifelong meditation on love and the sacred, transforming human emotion into a timeless metaphor for inspiration and grace.
Executed as a lithograph on velin paper, this work measures 12.216 x 9.875 inches (31.03 x 25.08 cm). Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the exceptional craftsmanship of the Mourlot Freres atelier, renowned for its close collaboration with Chagall and its technical mastery in fine art lithography.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985)
Title: L’Inspiree (The Inspired Woman), from The Lithographs of Chagall, Volume II, 1963
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 12.216 x 9.875 inches (31.03 x 25.08 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1963
Publisher: Andre Sauret, Editeur, Monte Carlo, and Boston Book and Art Shop, Inc., Boston
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue raisonne references: Cain, Julien, and Fernand Mourlot. Chagall Lithographe III, 1962–1968. Andre Sauret, Editeur, 1969, illustration 398. Cramer, Patrick, and Meret Meyer. Marc Chagall: Catalogue Raisonne Des Livres Illustres. P. Cramer ed., 1995, illustration 56.
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album The Lithographs of Chagall, Volume II, published by Andre Sauret, Editeur, Monte Carlo, and Boston Book and Art Shop, Inc., Boston, 1963
Notes:
Excerpted from the album, This album, which was designed and compiled by Fernand Mourlot and Andre Sauret, was finished in September 1963. The reproductions were printed on the presses of Draeger Freres, and the original lithographs on the presses of Mourlot Freres.
About the Publication:
The Lithographs of Chagall, Volume II, published in 1963 by Andre Sauret, Monte Carlo, and Boston Book and Art Shop, Inc., Boston, continued the landmark series dedicated to Marc Chagall’s lithographic mastery. Guided by the artistic direction of Fernand Mourlot, this volume showcases Chagall’s creative evolution during the 1950s and early 1960s through a vibrant collection of original lithographs. Each work embodies Chagall’s poetic fusion of memory, spirituality, and emotion, exploring recurring themes of love, flight, and divine inspiration. Printed with extraordinary precision at the Mourlot Freres atelier, the lithographs preserve the luminosity and fluidity of Chagall’s painterly hand. The volume stands as one of the most significant records of Chagall’s collaboration with Mourlot, marking a high point in 20th-century printmaking and celebrating the union of imagination and craftsmanship that defined his art.
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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