Marc Chagall’s Le Printemps (Spring), 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 Le Printemps (Spring), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 illustrates the moment when Daphnis and Chloe are seized by passion and attempt to make love, naively recalling the mating habits of their goats and sheep for reference. Chloe blends into the overwhelming sapphire hue of the landscape as her figure is outlined in a similarly rich blue, while Daphnis is merely the outline of a head peeking out from behind that of Chloe’s. The goats in the distance are rendered in saturated green and yellow as well as stark white, which brings them to the forefront of the composition despite their placement on a distant hill. The prominence of the goats in this image alludes to the way Daphnis and Chloe reference these animals as models for how to have sex. The rich landscape in Marc Chagall’s Le Printemps (Spring), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 appears to swallow up the figures of the two youthful protagonists, visually indicating their lack of confidence and knowledge regarding physical intimacy.

Created in 1961, Marc Chagall’s Le Printemps (Spring), 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 Le Printemps (Spring), 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. 335.
2. Mourlot, Fernand. The Lithographs of Chagall, vol. II 1957-1962. Monté Carlo, 1960. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 335.
3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Marc Chagall’s Le Printemps (Spring), from Daphnis et Chloé, 1961 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.