"There was a bow which Ulysses left when he went for Troy. It had lain by since that time, out of use and unstrung, for no man had strength to draw the bow, save Ulysses…" -- Homer, The Odyssey.

Depicting a poignant scene from Homer's Odyssey, Chagall features Ulysses upon his return from his 20 year journey back from his battles at Troy. Penelope, his faithful and beautiful wife represented here alongside his bow, is discovering that her husband has indeed returned.

L'Arc d'Ulysse was created as part of a two-volume work illustrating Homer's epic, The Odyssey. This lithograph was printed in conjunction with the 2nd volume, completed June 20, 1975. An edition of 30 signed proofs were printed on Japan nacreous paper of only the color plates, reserved solely for Chagall and the publisher, Fernand Mourlot, Paris.

Ulysses' bow comes to light in the 4th act of The Odyssey in which Telemachus, Ulysses' son, challenges suitors of his mother, Penelope, to shoot an arrow from his father's bow which had become rusted and unused during Ulysses' time away fighting at Troy. Having disguised himself as a beggar, Ulysses observes countless princes, generals, and soldiers vie for the hand of his wife while failing miserably at Telemachus' challenge of shooting an arrow at a proposed target using his enchanted bow. Ulysses steps out of the shadows much to the crowd's taunts and torment and successfully shoots an arrow at the target, unveiling his true identity, and declaring his love once more to his loyal wife, Penelope.

It is fully documented and referenced in (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that I will enclose with the sale of the work) :

1) Gauss, Ulrike, ed. Marc Chagall: The Lithographs, La Collection Sorlier, illustrated on pg. 337 as cat. no. 818.

2) Sorlier, Charles. Chagall Lithographs, vol. V 1974-1979, listed and illustrated as cat. no. 818 on pg. 89 and detailed on pg. 61.

Framed with archival materials to museum quality, this work is set in a robust, gold-leaf frame with organic, sculptural details. The brilliancy of the gold in the moulding enhances the bright hues in this work while the floral elements and detail compliment the subject matter of this piece. Complete with white, linen-wrapped mattes and a matching gold inner fillet, Bonjour sur Paris is set behind an archival Plexiglas cover.