Delve into the colourful and poetic realm of Marc Chagall and his depictions of stories from the Bible.
Eames Fine Art offer the rare, full set of original lithographs, from the 1956 and 1960 Verve publications. These are not merely illustrations of biblical stories, but evocations of human emotion and experience, drawn from the everyday life of the tumultuous times in which the artist lived, from childhood in Russia to exile in America and France during the Second World War.
Chagall had the unique ability across his oeuvre to combine his ‘inner world’ and transport characters and memories from it onto the page with striking colour and fluidity of movement. These lithographs exemplify the subtle qualities of mark-making that lithography affords for a great painter such as Chagall, whose unparalleled use of colour challenges any viewer not to be stirred in their presence.
The origin of these lithographs reaches back to a 1931 commission from influential dealer Ambroise Vollard for a series of etchings depicting scenes from the Bible. In preparation, Chagall undertook his first pilgrimage to the Holy Land, a trip which bestowed upon him ‘the most vivid impression’ he had ever received, as well as a visit to Amsterdam, to view El Greco and Rembrandt. In 1948, editor and publisher Antoine Te?riade commissioned a set of lithographs for his art review Verve for which Chagall created 16 original color lithographs. Four years later, Chagall and Te?riade devoted another issue of Verve to Bible illustrations entitled ‘Dessins pour la Bible’ (Drawings for the Bible), which featured an additional 24 original lithographs.
‘Since my early youth, I have been fascinated by the Bible. It has always seemed to me still that it is the greatest source of poetry of all time. Since then I have sought this reflection in life and in art. The Bible is like an echo of nature and this secret I have tried to transmit.’ – Marc Chagall
Eames Fine Art has both sets of lithographs; from 1956 and 1960. These are on display and for sale at The Print Room on Bermondsey Street. They can also all be viewed and purchased online: www.eamesfineart.com.
Eames Fine Art Print Room, 159 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UW from 20th January – 20th February. Admission: Free.
