Marc Chagall, David et Bath-Schéba (David and Bathsheba) from The Bible, 1958

Artist: Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985)
Title:David et Bath-Schéba (David and Bathsheba) from The Bible, 1958
Reference:Cramer 117
Medium:Etching with Watercolor
Image Size:11 1/4 in x 9 7/8 in (28.58 cm x 25 cm)
Sheet Size:20 5/16 in x 15 1/4 in (51.6 cm x 38.7 cm)
Framed Size:31 3/16 in x 29 1/4 in (79.25 cm x 74.3 cm)
Edition:Numbered from the Roman numeral edition of V in the lower left margin; aside from the numbered edition of 100.
Signature:Handwritten monogram ‘MC’ by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887 - Saint-Paul, 1985) in pencil in the lower right margin.
Condition:This work is in excellent condition.
ID #w-4812

Historical Description

In the intimate Chagall David et Bath-Schéba (David and Bathsheba) from The Bible, 1958, Chagall adds another dimension to King David’s portrait- that as lover. Peering over his castle balcony, separated by space, David is captivated by Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. A love affair soon occurs through which she becomes pregnant, and David, determined to have her, summons Uriah the Hittite and puts him at the forefront of a siege where he is killed. After his death, David and Bathsheba get married and she bores him a son. A story of love and scandal, this scene of the lovers beginning is raw innocence captured in a mesmerizing display of fluid line work with just the right touches of subtle color to give the work a powerful attraction.

Created in 1958, this etching with watercolor is the 69th plate in the series of 105 images that Chagall created for his Bible series. This work is numbered from the Roman numeral edition of V in the lower left margin and was printed aside from the numbered edition of 100. Marc Chagall's (Vitebsk, 1887 - Saint-Paul, 1985) hand written monogram in pencil in the lower right margin. Tériade, Paris, published this folio, and Raymond Haasen, Paris, did the printing for the series.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Marc Chagall David and Bathsheba (David et Bath-Schéba), from The Bible, 1958 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices accompanying the final sale of the work).
1. Cramer, Patrick. Marc Chagall, The Illustrated Books: Catalogue Raisonné. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 30 on pp. 110-117.

2. Rosensaft, Jean Bloch. Chagall and the Bible. New York: Universe Books, 1987. Listed and illustrated as plate 69.

3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:
Framed to archival museum grade conservation standards, Marc Chagall David and Bathsheba (David et Bath-Schéba), from The Bible, 1958  is presented in a complementary moulding with silk-wrapped mats and optical-grade Plexiglas.