Marc Chagall, Caïn et Abel, Nude, 1960, Original Lithograph

Marc Chagall

Caïn et Abel
(Cain and Abel)
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. # 238
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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

This powerful lithograph is Marc Chagall’s Cain and Abel (Mourlot 238), a visceral companion to the Bible series that captures the first biblical tragedy with raw, emotional intensity.

Chagall moves away from the softer pastels found in other works, embracing a fiery, urgent palette. The two brothers are rendered with thick, bold red outlines that vibrate against a warm ochre background. This use of red is deeply symbolic, representing both their biological bond and the "blood-crime" unfolding. Cain stands over a fallen Abel, his posture tense and dominating, while the struggle is simplified into essential, expressive lines.

The background is minimalist yet haunting. A dark, crescent moon hangs in a murky sky, suggesting that the light of the world has dimmed during this dark moment. A solitary, dark tree stands to the right, perhaps symbolising the "Tree of Life" now overshadowed by death. Through this primitive aesthetic, Chagall strips the story to its emotional core, focusing on the weight of human vulnerability.