Marc Chagall’s Mégaclès reconnaît sa Fille pendant le Festin (Megacles recognizes his daughter during the feast), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 is one of the stunning lithographs within the illustrated Daphne and Chloe series that Fernand Mourlot considered to be one of "the most important graphic works that Marc Chagall has created thus far." Chagall dedicated three years to this project and undertook a series of lithographs that perhaps defined his career, making these pieces "a work of notable importance which, unquestionably, can be placed at the top of the list of illustrated works of our time" (Mourlot 131). Daphnis and Chloe, the two romantic heroes of Greek writer, Longus, are two childhood friends who undergo the trials and tribulations of growing up and, consequently, falling in love. Evoking the rich Mediterranean landscapes from which Chagall personally drew inspiration, this work is a masterpiece any Chagall enthusiast would admire.

Marc Chagall’s Mégaclès reconnaît sa Fille pendant le Festin (Megacles recognizes his daughter during the feast), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 illustrates the moment when Chloe is reunited with her birth father, Megacles, at her wedding feast. Enrobed in bright white, Chloe’s tall, slender figure sharply contrasts the fiery red background, while Megacles is rendered in a saturated red hue that only barely distinguishes his figure from the rest of the image. In this way, Chloe’s figure visually stands out amongst the crowd as she stands out to Megacles in the story. Outlines of figures fill the background and punctuate the sides and bottom of the composition, indicating the numerous witnesses of this momentous occasion. The largely monochromatic palette of this image evokes a sense of stillness as the crowds hold their breath in anticipation of Megacles approaching his long-lost daughter.

Created in 1961, Marc Chagall’s Mégaclès reconnaît sa Fille pendant le Festin (Megacles recognizes his daughter during the feast), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 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 60 in the lower left margin.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Marc Chagall’s Mégaclès reconnaît sa Fille pendant le Festin (Megacles recognizes his daughter during the feast), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 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. 347.
2. Mourlot, Fernand. The Lithographs of Chagall, vol. II 1957-1962. Monté Carlo, 1960. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 347.
3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Marc Chagall’s Mégaclès reconnaît sa Fille pendant le Festin (Megacles recognizes his daughter during the feast), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.