Marc Chagall’s Chloé vétue et coiffée par Cléariste (Chloe is dressed and braided by Cleariste), 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 Chloé vétue et coiffée par Cléariste (Chloe is dressed and braided by Cleariste), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 depicts a tender moment shared between Chloe and Cleariste, the birth mother of Daphnis and Chloe’s soon-to-be mother-in-law. With her head and upper body bathed in a vibrant sunny yellow, Chloe stands tall in the center of the composition. She holds a bouquet of flowers loosely in her hands, which alludes to her upcoming marriage to Daphnis. Only the upper part of Cleariste’s figure is rendered, giving her an almost ghostlike appearance that allows Chloe’s figure to remain the focal point of the composition. The figure to the left of Chloe represents Daphnis’ father Dionysophanes, whose outstretched arms allude to his attempts to both console Chloe and welcome her as a daughter. Marc Chagall’s Chloé vétue et coiffée par Cléariste (Chloe is dressed and braided by Cleariste), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 beautifully depicts the newly forged bond between Chloe and her future in-laws.

Created in 1961, Marc Chagall’s Chloé vétue et coiffée par Cléariste (Chloe is dressed and braided by Cleariste), 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 Chloé vétue et coiffée par Cléariste (Chloe is dressed and braided by Cleariste), 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. 345.
2. Mourlot, Fernand. The Lithographs of Chagall, vol. II 1957-1962. Monté Carlo, 1960. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 345.
3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Marc Chagall’s Chloé vétue et coiffée par Cléariste (Chloe is dressed and braided by Cleariste), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.