As directed by God, Jeremiah reluctantly prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, and upon doing so, was lowered into a cistern, where he sunk down into the mud (Jeremiah 38:1-6). This is the portrayal Chagall so powerfully represents as Jeremiah, head down and hands bound, contemplates his fate in Chagall Jeremiah in the Pit, 1958. With a light shining on him and an angel past his shoulder, he cannot see that he has not been forsaken and that even in his doubt God is still with him. Jeremiah, the central figure to this composition, is highlighted by a beam of light that pours over him from above the confines of the image. This light is the divine energy that still surrounds Jeremiah even in this dark moment. A masterful storyteller, Chagall excels in this composition in bringing together the emotion and technical mastery for which he so renowned.

Created in 1958, this Etching with hand-applied watercolor is hand signed by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887 – Saint-Paul, 1985) in pencil 'M. Ch.' in the lower right margin. This piece is numbered from the Roman numeral edition of V in pencil in the lower left margin; aside from the numbered edition of 100 in Arabic numerals.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Marc Chagall Jeremiah in the Pit, from The Bible Series, 1958 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. Cramer, Patrick. Marc Chagall, The Illustrated Books: Catalogue Raisonné. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 30 on pp. 110-117.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Marc Chagall Jeremiah in the Pit from The Bible Series, 1958 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.