MARC CHAGALL - PRINTED ART SIGNED IN CRAYON - HFSID 88406

MARC CHAGALL. Printed Image signed: "Marc Chagall" in black crayon. Color, 9¼x12 overall, image 7½x9¼ (one surface). Reproduction of Abraham and the Three Angels, one of his illustrations for the Chagall Bible. Ambroise Vollard (1865-1939), a French art dealer and publisher who promoted artists such as Cezanne and Picasso, encouraged Russian-born French artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985) to accept a commission to illustrate an Old Testament Bible. Chagall began his illustrations in 1931, predominantly using oil and gouache, a watercolor technique that the artist favored at that time. Chagall would work on this project, producing 66 plates, until the outbreak of WWII (1939-1945) and the death of Vollard. Following the War, the project was resumed, and Chagall completed a total of 105 scenes. The Chagall Bible was ultimately published in 1956, 25 years after its inception. Chagall had learned to draw in his native Vitebsk, Russian and studied in St. Petersburg. He traveled to Paris on an artistic sabbatical, which he extended to four years (1910-1914). During that time, his development in painting was greatly influenced by the Impressionist movement and Cubism. Chagall's works, executed in a wide variety of media, from oils to stained glass, often featured subjects drawn from Russian village life, Jewish folklore and Hasidic mysticism. Fine condition. Framed to an overall size of 34½x21½.