CHAGALL, Marc, Blanc sur Noir (White on Black), 1972
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, Blanc sur Noir (White on Black), 1972  |
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| Artist: | Chagall, Marc (1887 - 1985) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Blanc sur Noir (White on Black), 1972 |
| Medium: | Original Color Chagall Lithograph |
| Image Size: | 21 3/4 in x 15 in (52.71 cm x 38.1 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 26.3 in x 19.4 in (67 cm x 49.4 cm) |
| Framed Size: | 42 in x 34 in (106.68 cm x 86.36 cm) |
| Signed: | Hand signed by Marc Chagall (1887-1985) in pencil in the lower right margin |
| Edition: | Numbered 14/30 in pencil in the lower left margin |
| Condition: | This work is in good condition |
Price :Item# 1981 | $9,500 Happy New Year 2009! To speak directly with the Director, Alex Adelman, please call (510) 777-9970 / 1-800-805-7060. |
| Description: | |
Comprising of only two colors, black & white, Chagall's whimsical imagery is still able to come alive amidst a whir of movement and energy. Floral arrangements, a bird flying overhead, and a lover's embrace add to this happy and joyful scene. Created in 1972, this piece is printed on Arches wove paper and published by Editions Maeght, Paris. It is also signed in the lower right margin by Marc Chagall (1887-1985) and numbered in pencil 14/30 in the lower left margin. Chagall's use of white on black creates an exquisite effect of allowing his characters to leap from the print, adding an illusion of depth and intensity between the contrasting colors. The small bird flutters overhead as the central figure of the woman is depicted with arms outstretched to embrace her companion on the right. A robust rendition of flora frames the composition towards the lower left margin as a small figure of a man can be seen entering the frame from the right. This is truly one of Chagall's finer works evoking a subtle elegance and displaying his masterful artistry. Catalogue Raisonné & COA: 1. Gauss, Ulrike ed. Marc Chagall - The Lithographs, Frankfurt, 1960. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 682 on pg. 308 and detailed on pg. 310. 2. Mourlot, Fernand & Charles Sorlier. The Lithographs of Chagall, vol. IV 1969-1973, Monté Carlo, 1960. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 682 on pg. 144. 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."
