In Rahab et les Espions de Jéricho (Rachel and the Spies of Jericho), Chagall turns to a lesser-known episode from the Bible for inspiration. The heroine, Rahab, stands in the foreground at left; led by the curve of her waist, the viewer's eye travels to the roof of the brothel beyond where the two spies hide. Chagall flattens the pictorial surface, compressing fore-, middle- and background, thereby creating a sense of immediacy. When the king hears of Joshua's spies in Jericho, he sends men to investigate. Rahab tells the spies to hide on her roof and points the king's men in the wrong direction to cover their tracks. Fogged and fluid coloring adds urgency and mystery to this drama unfolding on dark streets and rooftops under a tiny crescent moon.

Created in 1960 as part of the artist's drawings for the Bible series, this work is hand-signed by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887 - Saint-Paul, 1985) in pencil in the lower right margin. This work is numbered 6/50 in pencil at the lower left. Published by Verve in a double issue and printed by Draeger, the Bible series was developed by Chagall between 1958 - 59 and explores themes that were (mostly) not treated in his engravings on the same subject (Mourlot, 66). Apart from the editions of Verve, a signed and numbered edition of 50, to which our work belongs, was created on Arches paper alongside 10 proofs not for sale.

DOCUMENTED AND ILLUSTRATED IN:
1) Gauss, Ulrike. Marc Chagall: The Lithographs. New York: Distributed Art Publishers. Listed and illustrated as catalogue no. 244 on p.121.
2) Mourlot, Fernand. The Lithographs of Chagall: 1957-1962. Boston: Boston Book and Art Shop, Inc., 1963. Listed and illustrated as catalogue no. 244 on pp. 74-5

ABOUT THE FRAMING:
Framed to archival, museum-grade conservation standards, this piece is displayed in a complementary moulding with silk mats and optical-grade Plexiglas.