Marc Chagall’s Découverte de Chloé par Daphnis (Discovery of Chloé by Daphnis), 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 Découverte de Chloé par Daphnis (Discovery of Chloé by Daphnis), 1961 portrays a scene from the ancient Greek tale Daphnis et Chloé in the whimsical beauty of the artist’s style. Chagall travelled to Greece twice to gather inspiration before creating his Daphnis et Chloé series: the first time to gather inspiration for his initial gouaches, and the second time to determine if his first renderings captured what he felt was the emotional experience of Greece. For Chagall, the purpose was not to depict Greek landscape as it appeared but to draw from it the feeling that its beauty evoked. The deep purple figure to the right seems to glow from the inside and float in space, while the lack of a clear horizon line makes the figures in the upper left corner of the composition appear to be floating. Marc Chagall’s Découverte de Chloé par Daphnis (Discovery of Chloé by Daphnis), 1961 offers an excellent example of the way Chagall could reimagine a narrative through his dreamlike style.

Created in 1961, Marc Chagall’s Découverte de Chloé par Daphnis (Discovery of Chloé by Daphnis), 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 Découverte de Chloé par Daphnis (Discovery of Chloé by Daphnis), 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. 310.
2. Mourlot, Fernand. The Lithographs of Chagall, vol. II 1957-1962. Monté Carlo, 1960. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 310.
3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Marc Chagall’s Découverte de Chloé par Daphnis (Discovery of Chloé by Daphnis), 1961 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.