By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Creation (The Creation), from Marc Chagall, Dessins Pour La Bible (Drawings for the Bible), Verve: Revue Artistique et Litteraire, Vol. VIII, No. 33–34, originates from the September 1956 issue published by Editions de la revue Verve, Paris, under the direction of Teriade, Editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1956. This visionary composition depicts the divine act of creation, evoking the genesis of light, life, and spirit through Chagall’s radiant imagination and poetic symbolism. The flowing forms and luminous harmonies reflect the unity between the divine and the natural world—a theme central to Chagall’s lifelong spiritual vision. Infused with movement and transcendence, the work transforms the biblical narrative into a lyrical meditation on the origin of existence and the creative essence of faith. The piece forms part of Chagall’s celebrated series of lithographs and drawings created for Dessins Pour La Bible, a monumental project uniting art, scripture, and mysticism in one of the artist’s most important achievements.
Executed as a lithograph on velin du Marais paper, this work measures 14 x 10.5 inches (35.56 x 26.67 cm). Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of the Mourlot Freres atelier, renowned for its collaborations with the greatest modern masters of the 20th century.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985)
Title: Creation (The Creation), from Marc Chagall, Dessins Pour La Bible (Drawings for the Bible), Verve: Revue Artistique et Litteraire, Vol. VIII, No. 33–34, September 1956
Medium: Lithograph on velin du Marais paper
Dimensions: 14 x 10.5 inches (35.56 x 26.67 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1956
Publisher: Editions de la revue Verve, Paris, under the direction of Teriade, Editeur, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue raisonne references: Cain, Julien, and Fernand Mourlot. Chagall Lithographe. Andre Sauret, Editeur, 1960, illustrations 117–46. Cramer, Patrick, and Meret Meyer. Marc Chagall: Catalogue Raisonne Des Livres Illustrés. P. Cramer ed., 1995, illustration 25.
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From Marc Chagall, Dessins Pour La Bible (Drawings for the Bible), Verve: Revue Artistique et Litteraire, Vol. VIII, No. 33–34, published by Editions de la revue Verve, Paris, 1956
Notes:
Excerpted from the album (translated from French), This double issue of Verve is dedicated to the full reproduction in heliogravure of the one hundred-five plates etched by Marc Chagall, between 1930 and 1955, for the illustration of the Bible. The artist composed especially for the present work, sixteen lithographs in color and twelve in black, as well as the cover and the title page. This volume was completed and printed on September 10, 1956, by the Master Printers Draeger Freres for heliogravure, and by Mourlot Freres for lithography.
About the Publication:
Marc Chagall, Dessins Pour La Bible (Drawings for the Bible), published as Verve Vol. VIII, No. 33–34 in September 1956, represents one of the crowning achievements of Chagall’s lifelong dialogue with the sacred. Conceived and directed by the visionary publisher Teriade and printed by the master lithographers Mourlot Freres, the issue features thirty-four color lithographs and numerous black-and-white drawings inspired by biblical figures and stories. Chagall’s works for this edition unite text and image in a luminous meditation on divine creation, moral struggle, and spiritual renewal, imbued with his signature dreamlike symbolism and radiant color. Produced in postwar Paris, this landmark publication reaffirmed the enduring union of art and faith, establishing Dessins Pour La Bible as one of the most important illustrated works of the 20th century.
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 Creation...
Category
1950s Expressionist Maurice Milliere Art
