CHAGALL, Marc, Le songe du Capitaine Bryaxis (Captain Bryaxis's Dream) from Daphnis & Chloë, 1961
Marc Chagall was born July 7, 1887, in Vitebsk, Russia. From 1907 to 1910, he studied in Saint Petersburg, at the Imperial Society for the Protecti… [Read biography »]
Signed Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985), Original Color Chagall Lithograph, Le songe du Capitaine Bryaxis (Captain Bryaxis's Dream) from Daphnis & Chloë, 1961  |
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| Artist: | Chagall, Marc (1887 - 1985) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Le songe du Capitaine Bryaxis (Captain Bryaxis's Dream) from Daphnis & Chloë, 1961 |
| Medium: | Original Color Chagall Lithograph |
| Image Size: | 25 1/4 in x 16 1/2 in (64.12 cm x 41.91 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 29 1/2 in x 21 in (75 cm x 54 cm) |
| Framed Size: | 47 3/4 in x 39 1/2 in (121.29 cm x 100.33 cm) |
| Signed: | This work is hand signed by Marc Chagall in pencil in the lower right margin |
| Edition: | Numbered 55/60 in pencil in the lower left. (There was also another unsigned book edition, printed without margins in an edition of 250.) |
| Condition: | This piece is in fabulous condition, a stunning impression with strong, bold colors |
Price :Item# 1971 | $45,000 Happy New Year! To speak directly with the Director, Alex Adelman, please call (510) 777-9970 / 1-800-805-7060. |
| Description: | |
Upon initial observation, the dominant colors appear to be grays and blacks interpreting an ominous ocean seen. However, Chagall's technique of integrating radiant yellows, blues, whites, and greens that materialize from the grey give this work an optimistic, happy, and festive tone. The expressions on each of the characters display a lively aura that only serves to brighten and enhance the overall aesthetic and add to the grand love story between Daphnis & Chloe. Having been inspired in part by his friendship with Greek publisher, Efstratio Elftheriades at Tériade, Chagall became intrigued with Greek mythology and antiquity. Thus a series of illustrations came to fruition for the tale of Daphnis & Chloe in which visits to Greece by the artist in 1952 and 1954 became the basis of inspiration for the resulting works. Comprised of four books and originally written in the 2nd century by Greek writer, Longus, this tale follows two young protagonists over the course of two years whose relationship eventually blossoms into love as they face hardship, adventure, and separation in the typical style of Greek tragedy and mythology. The illustrations created for this novel depict specific scenes in the plot, however it is the manner in which Chagall takes these scenes and transforms them into works of his own that makes this series "a work of notable importance, which, unquestionably, can be placed at the top of the list of illustrated works of our time" (Mourlot 131) . It took him four years from start to finish to complete the lithography process, working with Charles Sorlier at the Ateliers Mourlot in creating prints with as many as 25 colors (and consequently, 25 lithography stones) . Completed in 1961 by Tériade, Chagall developed a multi-layered work creating a stunning effect of brilliant and emerging color with Captain Bryaxis's Dream. Catalogue Raisonné & COA: 1) Gauss, Ulrike, ed. Marc Chagall: The Lithographs, La Collection Sorlier. Listed and illustrated on pg. 159 as cat. no. 328. Detailed on pgs. 137-139. 2) Cramer, Patrick. Marc Chagall, The Illustrated Books: Catalogue Raisonné. Detailed on pg. 154 and illustrated on pg. 158. 3) Mourlot, Fernand. The Lithographs of Chagall vol. II, 1957-1962. Listed and illustrated on pg. 148-149 as cat. 328. Detailed on pg. 131. 4) Meyer, Franz. Marc Chagall. Listed and illustrated in the Classified Catalogue as no. 912 and detailed on pg. 548. About the Framing: | |
| Style: | Modern Master |
Biography of Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985)
Marc Chagall was born July 7, 1887, in Vitebsk, Russia. From 1907 to 1910, he studied in Saint Petersburg, at the Imperial Society for the Protection of the Arts and later with Léon Bakst. In 1910, he moved to Paris, where he associated with Guillaume Apollinaire and Robert Delaunay and encountered Fauvism and Cubism. He participated in the Salon des Indépendants and the Salon d'Automne in 1912. His first solo show was held in 1914 at Der Sturm gallery in Berlin.
Chagall visited Russia in 1914, and was prevented from returning to Paris by the outbreak of war. He settled in Vitebsk, where he was appointed Commissar for Art in 1918. He founded the Vitebsk Popular Art School and directed it until disagreements with the Suprematists resulted in his resignation in 1920. He moved to Moscow and executed his first stage designs for the State Jewish Chamber Theater there. After a sojourn in Berlin, Chagall returned to Paris in 1923 and met Ambroise Vollard. His first retrospective took place in 1924 at the Galerie Barbazanges-Hodebert, Paris. During the 1930s, he traveled to Palestine, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and Italy. In 1933, the Kunsthalle Basel held a major retrospective of his work.
During World War II, Chagall fled to the United States. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, gave him a retrospective in 1946. He settled permanently in France in 1948 and exhibited in Paris, Amsterdam, and London. During 1951, he visited Israel and executed his first sculptures. The following year, the artist traveled in Greece and Italy. During the 1960s, Chagall continued to travel widely, often in association with large-scale commissions he received. Among these were windows for the synagogue of the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, installed in 1962; a ceiling for the Paris Opéra, installed in 1964; a window for the United Nations building, New York, installed in 1964; murals for the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, installed in 1967; and windows for the cathedral in Metz, France, installed in 1968. An exhibition of the artist's work from 1967 to 1977 was held at the Musée du Louvre, Paris, in 1977-78, and a major retrospective was held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1985. During his lifetime he also created popular lithographs, such as Maternity. Chagall died March 28, 1985, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France.
"When Matisse dies," Pablo Picasso remarked, "Chagall will be the only painter left who understands what color really is." Picasso claimed he was not a fan of the "flying violins and all the folklore, but his canvases are really painted, not just thrown together." He followed up by saying, "There's never been anybody since Renoir who has the feeling for light that Chagall has."
