By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Daphnis et Chloe (Daphnis and Chloe), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXIIe Annee, No. 14, Juin 1960, originates from the 1960 edition published by Societe Internationale d'Art XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1960. Daphnis et Chloe reflects Chagall’s poetic fusion of love, mythology, and dreamlike imagery, inspired by the ancient Greek pastoral romance and reimagined through his luminous color harmonies and floating forms. The work embodies Chagall’s timeless exploration of passion, innocence, and the spiritual beauty of nature, rendered in his signature chromatic radiance and lyricism.
Executed as a lithograph on velin paper, this work measures 12.5 x 9.75 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Mourlot Freres, Paris.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985)
Title: Daphnis et Chloe (Daphnis and Chloe), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXIIe Annee, No. 14, Juin 1960
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.75 inches (31.75 x 24.77 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1960
Publisher: Societe Internationale d'Art XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue raisonne reference: Mourlot, Fernand, and Marc Chagall. Chagall Lithographe, Volume II, 1957–1962. Chagall Lithographe, Sauret, 1963, illustration 227
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXIIe Annee, No. 14, Juin 1960, published by Societe Internationale d'Art XXe Siecle, Paris; printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1960
About the Publication:
Gualtieri di San Lazzaro's XXe Siecle (Twentieth Century) was one of the most influential art journals of the modern era, founded in Paris in 1938 as a platform for the greatest painters, sculptors, and writers of the 20th century. San Lazzaro, a visionary editor, critic, and champion of modernism, believed that art and literature should coexist as expressions of a shared human imagination. Under his direction, XXe Siecle became a cultural bridge between Europe and the wider world, publishing special issues devoted to leading figures such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque, Calder, Miro, Kandinsky, and Leger. Each edition combined essays by renowned critics and poets with original lithographs and woodcuts printed by the foremost ateliers of Paris, Milan, and New York, including Mourlot, Curwen, and Amilcare Pizzi, creating a uniquely rich dialogue between text and image. The 1960 issue, XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, No. 14, showcased Daphnis et Chloe, one of Chagall’s most celebrated lithographic subjects, coinciding with his work on the monumental suite of lithographs inspired by the same pastoral tale, published by Teriade. Through this publication, San Lazzaro further cemented Chagall’s reputation as the modern poet of color and love, uniting myth, nature, and emotion in visual form. Today, XXe Siecle remains an essential record of 20th-century modernism, celebrated for its seamless integration of fine art, literature, and design.
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 Daphnis...
Category
1960s Expressionist Figurative Prints
