Marc Chagall, Job désespéré (Job in Despair), 1960, Original Lithograph

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About This Piece

Marc Chagall

Job désespéré (Job in Despair)
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. # 254
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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 Marc Chagall’s Job in Despair (Mourlot 254), the artist provides a hauntingly visceral portrayal of the biblical patriarch at the height of his physical and spiritual anguish. This colour lithograph, which serves as a profound emotional anchor in the 1960 Bible series, moves away from the themes of redemption to focus on the raw experience of suffering.

The composition is dominated by a tight, monumental profile of Job, whose skin is rendered in a sickly, shadowed green, symbolising his physical decay and the bitterness of his plight. His large, dark eye is fixed in a gaze of profound sorrow and bewilderment. He is draped in a heavy, deep crimson robe that feels suffocating rather than regal, reflecting the intensity of his pain. In the background, a small, ethereal green figure—perhaps representing the memory of his lost family or a silent, watchful divinity—emerges from the darkness with upraised arms. The heavy, charcoal-like textures and claustrophobic framing masterfully evoke Job’s sense of isolation, capturing a man wrestling with the silence of the heavens amidst total ruin.

Click here for full description Close description

Period	1960 to 1969
Year	1960
Production Period	1960 to 1969
Country of Manufacture	France
Identifying Marks	This piece has been attributed based on archival documentation, such as vintage catalogs, designer records, or other literature sources
Style	Surrealist, Modernist
Detailed Condition	Very Good — This vintage/antique item has no defects, but it may show slight traces of use.
Restoration and Damage Details	Light wear consistent with age and use, A hardly perceivable bump in the corner
Product Code	YWW-2500938
Materials	Lithograph
Color	Multicolored
Width	27 cm 10.4 inch
Depth	1 cm 0.0 inch
Height	36 cm 14.0 inch
Duties Notice	Import duty is not included in the prices you see online. You may have to pay import duties upon receipt of your order.

Shipping & Delivery

Ships from	Italy
Duties Notice	Import duty is not included in the prices you see online. You may have to pay import duties upon receipt of your order.
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