Marc Chagall’s L'Odyssée I – Ulysse devant Nausicaa (Ulysses before Nausicaa), from L'Odyssée (The Odyssey), 1974 is one of the richly detailed lithographs from the illustrated Odyssey series. Inspired by Homer’s The Odyssey, Chagall’s Odyssey series visualizes the trials and tribulations that Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s epic poem, encounters on his way back home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Chagall captures the atmosphere of the narrative through his own imaginative style, honoring the text as the source of visual inspiration while incorporating his own pictorial imagery. Glimpses of the Mediterranean landscape and its culture are also visible in this series, as Chagall drew inspiration from his trips to Greece. The combined length and detail of the source text demanded extensive illustrations, which led publisher Fernand Mourlot to publish Chagall’s Odyssey series in two volumes. The first volume was completed in December 1974, and the second one was completed the following year in June. Drawing visual inspiration from Homer’s canonical epic poem, this work is a masterpiece any Chagall enthusiast would admire.

Marc Chagall’s L'Odyssée I – Ulysse devant Nausicaa (Ulysses before Nausicaa), from L'Odyssée (The Odyssey), 1974 illustrates when Odysseus (Ulysses) encounters Nausicaa while she is washing her clothes by the river. The figure of Odysseus lies slumped and nude in the bottom left corner of the image, while the nude figure of Nausicaa stands tall in front of Odysseus. Such a composition stages Odysseus’s vulnerability and visually places him at the mercy of Nausicaa. The mingling of blues, greens, and purples in the background creates a dreamlike atmosphere consistent with the pictorial imagery of Chagall’s oeuvre. Another beautiful visualization of a scene in Homer’s epic poem, Marc Chagall’s L'Odyssée I – Ulysse devant Nausicaa (Ulysses before Nausicaa), from L'Odyssée (The Odyssey), 1974 captures the dramatic yet delicate scene of a hero in need.

Created in 1974, Marc Chagall’s L'Odyssée I – Ulysse devant Nausicaa (Ulysses before Nausicaa), from L'Odyssée (The Odyssey), 1974 is a color lithograph on Arches paper. This work is hand-signed by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887 - Saint-Paul, 1985) in the lower right margin. Numbered from edition of 30 in the lower left margin.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Marc Chagall’s L'Odyssée I – Ulysse devant Nausicaa (Ulysses before Nausicaa), from L'Odyssée (The Odyssey), 1974 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Gauss, Ulrike. Marc Chagall: The Lithographs. The Sorlier collection. Edited by Ulrike Gauss et. al. New York: Distributed Art Publishers., Inc., 1999. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 767.
2. Mourlot, Fernand. The Lithographs of Chagall, vol. II 1957-1962. Monté Carlo, 1960. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 767.
3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Marc Chagall’s L'Odyssée I – Ulysse devant Nausicaa (Ulysses before Nausicaa), from L'Odyssée (The Odyssey), 1974 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.