The swirling, torrential stroke of Chagall's vibrant blues and greens inundate us with the magical world brought to life through his descriptive and passionate imagery. The innovative application and layering of color only serve as a testament to Chagall's profound respect and understanding he had for the art of color lithography. Seen here, there are varieties and tonalities of blues, coupled with purples, browns, and greens which are further highlighted by yellow accents and the bright red dove in the lower left. On an invitation to New York from the Museum of Modern Art, Chagall had agreed to create this series of lithographs illustrating the Four Tales as a favor to his friend, Jacques Schiffrin whose firm, Pantheon Books, was publishing a series of works by French authors. The result was a series of volumes featuring these colored lithographs, including Plate 3.Created in 1948, this work was part of a series of 12 lithographs made to illustrate the book, Four Tales from the Arabian Nights. Plate 3, containing at least 7 or 8 colors, was printed by Albert Carman, New York on wove paper and published by Pantheon Books, New York. It is hand signed by Marc Chagall (1887 - 1985) in pencil in the lower right margin and numbered 59/90 in pencil in the lower left in addition to the handwritten pencil inscription, 'Pl. 3'.Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
It is fully documented and referenced in (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work) :1) Chagall, Marc. Arabian Nights, Four Tales from a Thousand and One Nights, with introduction by Norbert Nobis, Prestel: Munich, 1988. Illustrated on pg. 155.2) Cramer, Patrick. Marc Chagall, The Illustrated Books: Catalogue Raisonné, Geneva, 1995. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 18 on pgs. 58-9.3) Gauss, Ulrike, ed. Marc Chagall: The Lithographs, La Collection Sorlier, Stuttgart, 1960. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 38 on pg. 65 and detailed on pg. 64.4) Mourlot, Fernand. The Lithographs of Chagall, vol. I 1922-1957, Monté Carlo, 1960. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 38 on pgs. 68-9 with details on pgs. 64-65.5) Sorlier, Charles. Le Livre des Livres: Marc Chagall, the Illustrated Books, Berne, 1990. Detailed on pg. 176 and illustrated on pg. 179.ABOUT THE FRAMING:Framed in museum quality archival materials, this work is set in a Renaissance-inspired gold leaf frame. The bright gold of the moulding compliments the cool tones in the work, while the elaborate curvatures cast within the frame resonate the motion and richness of the piece itself. The simple stepped elements also accentuate the linear quality of this work. Completed with white, linen-wrapped mats and a matching gold inner fillet, this work is set behind archival Plexiglas cover.