After Chagall completed his etchings for The Fables (1930), Vollard again offered Chagall a commission, this time for a set of etchings illustrating themes from the Bible. Chagall went to Palestine to get a sense of the land itself. Returning to Paris, he began work on the 105 etchings for this project, first between 1931 and 1939 (when the first sixty-five etchings were executed and printed) and then between 1952 and 1956 (when the remaining forty etchings were completed and printed). Meyer Schapiro, the noted art historian, observed that Chagall was the ideal artist to have undertaken the task of illustrating the Bible: "Chagall was prepared for this achievement by his permanent receptivity of mind. He is a rare modern painter whose art has been accessible to the full range of his emotions and thoughts. . . . He has represented themes of an older tradition not in a spirit of curiosity or artifice, but with a noble devotion. . . . Although these etchings are marvels of patient, scrupulous craftmanship, there is no assertion here of skill or technical research, but an immersion in a subject which the artist convinces us often equals or transcends value in the work of art . . . In almost every image we experience the precise note of his emotion, his awe or sadness or joy, which is voiced in the melody of shapes and the tonal scale peculiar to each conception. If we had nothing of Chagall but his Bible, he would be for us a great modern artist."

Most of the etchings for The Bible were executed by Chagall between 1931 and 1939; the last pieces were completed between 1952 and 1956. The Bible was issued in an edition of 275 signed and numbered portfolios and 20 portfolios hors commerce. There are also 100 sets of the etchings with hand-coloring, each of which is initialed in pencil by Chagall. References: Marc Chagall: Druckgraphische Folgen 1922-1966. Verzeichnis der Bestände (Hannover: Kunstmuseum Hannover mit Sammling Sprengel, 1981); Charles Sorlier, Marc Chagall et Ambroise Vollard; Catalogue Complet des Gravures Exécutées par Marc Chagall à la demande de Ambroise Vollard (Paris: Editions Galerie Matignon, 1981).

The paper size is 440x330mm (17-1/4x12-1/8 inches) for all works. The paper is white, but in some cases it reproduced darker than it should have in our photographs on our three web pages devoted to the etchings for the Bible.

Passage du Jourdain / The Israelites Cross the Jordan (H. 319, S. 242). Original etching, 1931-1939; completed 1952-1956. 100 signed and numbered hand-colored proofs plus 295 black and white impressions signed in the plate, of which this is one. Image size: 300x230mm. Price: SOLD.

Josué devant l'ange à l'épee / Joshua before the Angel with the sword. (H. 320, S. 243) Original etching, 1931-1939; completed 1952-1956. 100 signed and numbered hand-colored proofs plus 295 black and white impressions signed in the plate lower left, of which this is one. Meyer Shapiro has called Chagall one of the greatest religious artists of all time. Image size: 319x216mm. Price: Please call or email for current pricing information.

Josué lit les paroles de la loi / Joshua reads the words of the law to the people (H. 322, S. 245). Original etching, 1931-1939; completed 1952-1956. 100 signed and numbered hand-colored proofs plus 295 black and white impressions signed in the plate lower left, of which this is one. Image size: 297x232mm. Price: Please call or email for current pricing information.

Debora la Prophéteuse / Deborah the Prophet (H. 327, S. 249). Original etching, 1931-1939; completed 1952-1956. 100 signed and numbered hand-colored impressions plus 295 black and white impressions signed in the plate lower left, of which this is one. Image size: 303x252mm. Price: Please call or email for current pricing information.

Samson and Delilah (H. 331, S. 252). Original etching, 1931-39; printed 1939. 100 signed and numbered hand-painted impressions plus 295 black and white impressions signed in the plate lower left, of which this is one. Image size: 281x242mm. Price: Please call or email for current pricing information.

Anne invoque l'Eternal / Hannah prays to the Lord (H. 333, S. 256). Original etching, 1931-1939; completed 1952-1956 100 signed and numbered hand-colored proofs plus 295 black and white impressions signed in the plate lower right marginbelow the cows, of which this is one. The scene depicts the infertile Hannah praying to God for a child (1 Samuel 1:9-28). She becomes the mother of the prophet Samuel. Illustrated in a recent study of representations of the heroic women of the Bible by great artists. Image size: 273x233mm. Price: Please call or email for current pricing information.

David devant Saul / David before Saul (H. 339, S. 261) Original hand-colored etching, 1931-1939; completed 1952-1956. 100 signed and numbered hand-colored proofs (of which this is one) plus 295 signed in the plate. Meyer Shapiro has called Chagall one of the greatest religious artists of all time. Image size: 324x235mm. Price: SOLD

David devant Saul / David before Saul (H. 339, S. 261) Original etching, 1931-1939; completed 1952-1956. 100 signed and numbered hand-colored proofs plus 295 black and white impressions signed in the plate, of which this is one. Meyer Shapiro has called Chagall one of the greatest religious artists of all time. Image size: 324x235mm. Price: SOLD.

Spaightwood Galleries, Inc.

To purchase, call us at 1-800-809-3343 (1-508-529-2511 in Upton MA & vicinity) or send an email to spaightwood@gmail.com
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For directions and visiting information, please call. We are, of course, always available over the web and by telephone (see above for contact information). Click the following for links to past shows and artists. For a visual tour of the gallery, please click here. For information about Andy Weiner and Sonja Hansard-Weiner, please click here. For a list of special offers currently available, see Specials.

All works are sold with an unconditional guarantee of authenticity (as described in our website listing.

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