Marc Chagall, The Tribe of Naphtali, from The Twelve Maquettes of Stained Glass Windows for Jerusalem (1964) |
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| Artist: | Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985) |
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| Title: | The Tribe of Naphtali, from The Twelve Maquettes of Stained Glass Windows for Jerusalem (1964) |
| Reference: | CS 21 |
| Medium: | Original Color Lithograph |
| Image Size: | 24 in x 18 in (61 cm x 46 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 29 1/8 in x 20 11/16 in (74 cm x 52.5 cm) |
| Framed Size: | 43 in x 36 in (109.2 cm x 91.4 cm) |
| Signature: | This work is hand signed by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887- Saint-Paul, 1985) in pencil in the lower right margin. |
| Condition: | This work is in excellent condition, with bright and fresh colors. |
| ID # | w-3689 |
The son of Bilhah, Rachel's servant, Naphtali is likened by Jacob to a "hind let loose : he giveth goodly words" (Genesis 49 : 21). Anchoring the composition at its bottom center, Chagall's stag is graceful and lithe, true to its identity in the Bible. Wings upraised, about to take flight from a lush tree, the bird could be either a cock or an eagle. The rooster represents rebirth and vigilance, and is a common motif in the artist's work, while the eagle is connected to the tree of life. Jean Leymarie notes that the bird's aggressive stance could allude, "to the origin of the word Naphtali, which means 'I have fought'" (138). Whatever the viewer's relationship to its iconography, The Tribe of Naphtali is desirable for its confetti sprays of color and its animated composition.
Created in 1964, this image is one in a series of twelve lithographs. Commissioned by the Hadassah-Hebrew Medical Center, Chagall created these works as maquettes for a series of stained glass windows to be installed in the Center's synagogue outside of Jerusalem. The work was engraved by Charles Sorlier, who worked in close collaboration with the artist and is printed on watermarked Arches wove paper. This piece is numbered from the Arabic edition of 150 proofs in pencil in the lower left margin; aside from 75 proofs signed and numbered in Roman numerals, and 10 artist's proofs. This work is hand signed by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887- Saint-Paul, 1985) in pencil in the lower right margin and signed in the stone, 'CH. SORLIER. GRAV. LITH.' at the lower left of the image.
Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
This work is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoice accompanying the final sale of the work).
1. Leymarie, Jean. Marc Chagall: The Jerusalem Windows. New York: Park Lane, 1988. Listed and illustrated on pp. 137-47.
2. Sorlier, Charles. Chagall Lithographs, 1974-79. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1984. Listed on p. 210 as catalogue no. CS 21.
3. Martin Lawrence Galleries. Marc Chagall. 1999. Listed as CS 21 on pg 61.
4. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.
About the Framing:
This work is framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.
