Marc Chagall
Adam et Ève chassés du Paradis
(Adam and Eve Expelled from Paradise)
from "Drawings for the Bible"
colour lithograph on paper
publisher: Verve, Paris
year: 1960
size: 355 x 264 mm
On the back: another black and white original Lithograph by Marc Chagall, mandatory in this edition.
Very Good Condition: complete image (no crop, no trim), wonderful colours, a hardly perceivable bump in the corner (see image)
with Gallery Certificate
Catalogue Raisonné:
Meret Meyer and Patrick Cramer, "Marc Chagall, Les Livres Illustrés", ref. # 42
Charles Sorlier and Fernand Mourlot, Chagall Lithographe, vol. II, ref. # 233
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CHAGALL AND THE BIBLE
Marc Chagall’s Drawings for the Bible, published in 1960 as a special double issue of the legendary art magazine Verve, represents one of the most profound encounters between modern art and sacred text. While Chagall had been obsessed with biblical themes since his 1931 trip to Palestine, this specific suite allowed him to explore the narrative with a newfound technical mastery of colour lithography.
Working closely with the master printer Fernand Mourlot, Chagall created 24 vibrant color lithographs for this series. These works do not merely illustrate the Old Testament; they reimagine it through a dreamlike, Jewish-Eastern European lens. Chagall uses radiant blues, fiery reds, and golden yellows to transcend literal interpretation. The figures often float, defying gravity to suggest a spiritual reality that exists alongside the physical one.
For Chagall, the Bible was the "greatest source of poetry of all time." Through these lithographs, he sought to make the ancient prophets and patriarchs feel human and immediate. Today, this collection is celebrated not just as a religious milestone, but as a pinnacle of 20th-century printmaking, showcasing how Chagall could turn stone and ink into pure emotion.
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ABOUT THIS VERY ARTWORK
In this 1960 lithograph, Adam et Ève chassés du Paradis, Marc Chagall captures the poignant finality of the Exile with a composition dominated by a searing, emotive red. The color choice here is transformative, suggesting the loss of Eden’s cool serenity and the entrance into a world of heat, labor, and human passion.
The angel of the Lord is a towering, golden-hued figure whose sweeping arm dictates the unavoidable movement toward the unknown. Unlike more vengeful depictions in art history, Chagall’s angel feels like an elemental force of destiny. Adam and Eve are shown huddled together, their bodies overlapping in a shared vulnerability that emphasizes their newfound reliance on one another. The loose, energetic line work creates a sense of urgent movement, as if they are being swept away by a divine wind. Through this work, Chagall elevates the biblical Expulsion into a deeply human story of transition and the enduring bond of companionship amidst displacement.
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