Marc Chagall Le Roi David à la Lyre (King David with Lyre), 1979 depicts the biblical figure of King David playing a lyre, the musical instrument with which he is commonly associated. The figure of King David is adorned in a crown and a rich red garment, which indicates his royal status and visually emphasizes his figure in the image. The tilted orientation of the composition creates a sense of movement that evokes the melody King David plays on his lyre. A figure in the upper right corner with the head of a goat or cow plays what appears to be a flute, while another figure with the head of a fowl peeps out behind it. Such therianthropes are iconic pictorial motifs in the artist’s oeuvre, and Chagall’s inclusion of them in the depiction of a biblical figure showcases his persistent originality and artistic interpretation. Marc Chagall Le Roi David à la Lyre (King David with Lyre), 1979 offers not only an imaginative rendering of the biblical King David but also a lively image of music.

Created in 1979, Marc Chagall Le Roi David à la Lyre (King David with Lyre), 1979 is a color lithograph on Japon nacré. This work is hand signed by Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887 - Saint-Paul, 1985) in pencil in the lower right margin and numbered from the edition of 50 in pencil in the lower left margin.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Marc Chagall Le Roi David à la Lyre (King David with Lyre), 1979 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. Sorlier, Charles. Chagall Lithographs Vol. V, 1974-1979. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1984. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 935.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Marc Chagall Le Roi David à la Lyre (King David with Lyre), 1979 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.