Color lithograph on Arches
France, 1973
After Marc Chagall (1887-1985) – Russian/French Expressionist painter
‘L’Ange au Chandelier (Angel with Candlestick)'
Signed in pencil lower right ‘Marc Chagall’
Numbered in pencil lower left from the edition of 200
Published by Editions des Amis au Message Biblique Marc Chagall, Nice
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity
Sorlier 46
Full margins; framed
Image dimensions: 20 ½ x 17 in. (52 x 43 cm.)
Sheet dimensions: 29 ½ x 20 ? in (75 x 53 cm.)
Overall dimensions: 40 ¾ x 35 in. (103.5 x 88.9 cm)
Very good condition

This beautiful and iconic composition was chosen to represent the National Museum of the Biblical Message. Taken from the right-hand section of an original work by Marc Chagall titledJacob’s Dream, Charles Sorlier created a print edition especially for the opening of the Museum in 1973.

This work’s highly recognizable biblical imagery was perfectly suited for this occasion featuring a beautiful angel who is lit from within, holding a candelabra that creates a warm, soft halo around her. The entire composition is almost bathed in a deep, lapis-lazuli blue, with small pastoral figures scattered throughout the landscape below evoking a sense of warmth and peace from within.

Created in 1973, this color lithograph was created before the poster edition marking the inauguration of the Musée National Message Biblique. Hand signed by Marc Chagall in pencil in the lower right margin and numbered 4 from the edition of 200 in pencil in the lower left margin, this work was published by Editions des Amis du Message Biblique Marc Chagall, Nice. It is in overall good condition with no evidence of tears or repairs.

Marc Chagall (French/Russian, 1887-1985)

Honored for his distinct style and pioneering role among Jewish artists, Marc Chagall painted dream-like subjects rooted in personal history and Eastern European folklore. He worked in several mediums, including painting, printmaking, and book illustration, and his stained glass windows can be seen in New York, France, and Jerusalem. Chagall arrived in Paris in 1910 and began experimenting with Cubism, befriending painters Robert Delaunay and Fernand Léger. Chagall’s style has been described as a hybrid of Cubism, Fauvism, and Symbolism, and his supernatural subjects are thought to have significantly influenced the Surrealists. Though he actively engaged in the Parisian artistic community, art for Chagall was first and foremost a means of personal expression. He preferred to be considered separately from other artists, his imagery and allegory uniquely his own.