Description:Created for a short novel titled Maternité written by Marc Chagall's dear friend, Marcel Arland, this particular work became part of a series of 5 original engravings meant to compliment the text from which it was inspired. According to Sorlier, "these plates…should be seen more as a complement to the text than as an illustration" (12) .
Printed on June 10, 1926, by publisher Au Sans Pareil this piece is from an edition of 140 copies printed by Louis Fort, Paris on Van Gelder Zonen laid paper.
Chagall's talents are perhaps best seen with this scene of La rixe, featuring a small fight that is full of action yet cannot help but be humorous at the same time. Bottles are flying, the lamp is swinging, and a vase is on the verge of crashing down to the floor as one of our accomplices has just picked up a chair about to throw it down to his counterpart. Our other character is lying on the floor, mouth ajar in astonishment, as this same chair is heading toward him with full force. One cannot help but laugh as Chagall creatively portrays what we can only imagine to be quite a brawl triggered by a silly misunderstanding within the narrative of Maternité.
Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
It is fully documented and referenced in (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that I will accompany the final sale of the work) :
1) Cramer, Patrick. Marc Chagall, The Illustrated Books: Catalogue Raisonné, Geneva, 1995. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 5 on pgs. 20-21.
2) Guse, Herausgegeben von Ernst-Gerhard. Marc Chagall - Druckgraphik, Stuttgart, 1985. Listed as cat. no. 78-82 on pgs. 268-9.
3) Kornfeld, Eberhard W. Marc Chagall, Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre grave Vol. I: 1922-1966, Berne, 1971. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 67 on pg. 146 and detailed on pg. 141.
4) Sorlier, Charles. Marc Chagall: The Illustrated Books, Paris 1990. Detailed and illustrated on pgs. 12 and 20-21.
About the Framing:
This work is set in an ornate Baroque-inspired gold frame with delicately carved floral accents. The gold accentuates the curved lines and mimics action and movement, echoing Chagall's artistic hand in these works. The sculpted quality of the moulding also serves to enhance the textural elements and bring out subtle shading and lighting detail. Completed with white, linen-wrapped mats and a matching gold inner fillet, this work is set behind a Plexiglas cover. All framing materials used are archival to ensure lasting quality.
