By Marc Chagall
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Color lithograph on Arches wove paper. This work is hand-signed by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887–Saint-Paul, 1985) in black crayon in the lower margin. Numbered 114/200 in the lower right margin. A small inscription in the lower left plate states: 'D'Apres Marc Chagall - Ch. Sorlier Grav,' indicating Charles Sorlier as the engraver of the piece. Printed by Mourlot, Paris for the Editions of the Metropolitan Opera, New York.
Catalogue Raisonné:
Carmen, 1966, is documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work).
1. Sorlier, Charles. Chagall Lithographs, Vol. V 1974-79. New York: Crown Publishers, 1984. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 39.
2. Sorlier, Charles. Chagall's Posters: A Catalogue Raisonné. New York: Crown Publishers, 1975. Page 110
Upon adapting Carmen to a large-scale format to occupy the height of the façade of the Metropolitan Opera House, “Chagall was indefatigable in attempting time after time to achieve the desired result, with ever-increasing effectiveness” (Sorlier 110). The outcome was a meticulously detailed and marvelous work. Several retouches and color & compositional changes resulted in several months of perfecting the work. Carmen is proof of Chagall’s enduring talent and skill of extracting each color and pushing it to its boldest and brightest to create a scene of dazzling performers set over a dreamy cityscape. This is considered one of Chagall’s best lithographs.
In the center of this monumental composition, a whimsical mandolin player captures our attention, dressed in a bright, colorful costume as he twirls his instrument; this musician was later revealed to be the artist’s close confidante, Rudolf Bing, director of the Metropolitan Opera House at the time. It was a secret—yet recognizable—portrait of not only his friend but also the patron who commissioned this piece. Surrounding this central musician, two figures gracefully perform for an awestruck audience. Colorful animals flit throughout the composition, while at the bottom, a city of skyscrapers guides our eye upwards, relaying the impression that the central figures are suspended in midair. From the superb coloration to the joyous expressions of the figures, this magnificent piece transports us to Chagall’s magical, carefree world.
Marc Chagall Carmen...
Category
1960s Figurative Prints
