Description:This particular image has extremely vivid and highly saturated colors; particularly beautiful are the strong sunny yellows and brilliant sapphire blues. The dramatic color, coupled with bold religious imagery, makes this an extraordinary work within the Jerusalem series, and an exemplar piece within Chagall's larger body of work.
Created in 1964, this image is part of a series of twelve lithographs which Chagall designed after the stain glass windows he created for the synagogue of the Hadassah-Hebrew Medical Center, located just outside of Jerusalem. The work was engraved and printed by Charles Sorlier in collaboration with Marc Chagall on Arches wove paper; the Arches watermark appears vertically in the right margin. On the lower right hand on the reverse side of the sheet, there is printed text which reads, "MARC CHAGALL, MAQUETTE DU VITRAIL 'JUDAH', pour Jérusalem, repuroudite en lithographie, Ch Sorlier, graveur - Mourlot, Imp." The engraver's signature also appears in the plate in the lower left hand side.
This piece is from a larger edition of 150, numbered '4/150' in pencil in the lower left.
As a traditional biblical reference, the goat holds a vast history of symbolism in the Jewish faith - on Yom Kippur, the festival of the Day of Atonement, two goats were chosen and lots were drawn for them. One was sacrificed and the other allowed to escape into the wilderness, symbolically carrying with it the sins of the community (from this comes the word "scapegoat") . Contrasted with a brilliantly colored rooster who hovers above, these animals more commonly symbolized ideas of prosperity and abundance. The overwhelming aura of the piece is echoed by the shimmering yellow that radiates and glows from the work. Floral accents throughout give the scene a cheerful and whimsical energy that only serves to accentuate the excellent condition in which we find this piece. Truly one of Chagall's finest in the series, The Tribe of Naphtali is a must-have to any collection.
Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
It is fully documented and referenced in (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that I will enclose with the sale of the work) :
1) Leymarie, Jean, Marc Chagall The Jerusalem Windows, 1975, listed on pages 25-31.
2) Sorlier, Charles, Chagall Lithographs, 1974-79, 1984, listed on page 212 as plate CS 21.
About the Framing:
Conservation framed in a stately and robust Baroque-style gold moulding. The rich, undulating sculptural details in the frame gracefully compliment the movement within this work, without overtaking or distracting from Chagall's beautiful window. All materials are archival and museum quality. Framing is completed with white linen wrapped mattes, a matching gold inner fillet, and Plexiglas cover.
