MARC CHAGALL Russian, French, 1887-1985
The Circus | Le Cirque, 1967
The Complete Suite of 38 Original Hand Signed and Inscribed Lithograph in Colours on Arches Wove Paper
45.1 x 34.6 cm. / 17.8 x 13.6 in.
This complete suite of 38 original lithographs in colours is hand signed in pencil by the artist "Marc Chagall" on the colophon page.
It is stamp numbered from the edition of 250 in Arabic numerals on the justification page.
It is one of 250 complete suites printed by Fernand Mourlot and published by Tériade Éditeur, Paris. There were also 20 sets numbered with Roman numerals reserved for the collaborators.
The papers bear the Arches watermarks, and it is presented with the original wove paper wrappers, cloth-covered boards and slipcase.
Provenance: Private collection, Japan
Literature: Mourlot, F., & Sorlier, C., (1974). Chagall: The Lithographs IV (Catalogue Raisonné). D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc.
Reference: Mourlot 490-527
Note: Marc Chagall’s deep connection to the circus and its performers stems from his childhood in pre-revolutionary Vitebsk, Russia. During local village fairs, acrobats, clowns, and equestrians would arrive to entertain, yet their lack of recognition often left a somber impression on Chagall. This experience instilled in him a lingering fear that he too might face a similar lack of appreciation as an artist. Despite this, Chagall eventually channeled his fascination with the circus into one of his most celebrated lithographic series, Le Cirque.
In 1927, Ambroise Vollard, a leading art dealer and publisher of early 20th-century French art, invited Chagall to create a series of gouaches themed around the circus. Vollard, who himself was a circus enthusiast, even offered Chagall the use of his personal box at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris. Sidney Alexander, Chagall’s biographer, noted that Chagall was “childishly delighted” by this opportunity. However, after Vollard’s tragic death in 1939, Chagall set the project aside. It was not until Tériade, a close friend and prominent art publisher who had also worked with artists like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, encouraged him to revisit it that Chagall resumed work. Tériade’s support reignited Chagall’s passion, and he chose to switch from gouaches to lithography, a technique he had perfected over the previous two decades.
In 1962, Chagall began creating a series of lithographs that captured the vibrant and exhilarating world of the circus. His lithographs featured dreamlike scenes with trapeze artists, dancers, and clowns performing gravity-defying acts amid an adoring audience. The lithographic technique allowed Chagall to integrate his characteristic loose brushwork, rich colors, and layering effects into printmaking. The spontaneity of his hand brilliantly expressed the performers' dazzling movements. The full portfolio, consisting of 38 lithographs—23 in color—was published in 1967 with text by Chagall himself, and it is widely regarded as one of his most remarkable illustrated works.
Condition: Very good condition. Each sheet is generally in very good condition, with very pale time-staining at the extreme sheet edges. A small number of pages have additional handling creases in the corners, most notably plate on the colour plates three, eight and nine. Two colour plates (five and seven) have foxing along the edges of the sheet, visible only verso and not showing recto. Three colour plates have the central vertical fold as issued. A small number of the text pages have minor soft handling creases. There are pencil annotations pertaining to the order of the folio, verso. Overall, the colours remain vibrant. The folio case shows signs of wear and with scattered foxing.
It is stamp numbered from the edition of 250 in Arabic numerals on the justification page.
It is one of 250 complete suites printed by Fernand Mourlot and published by Tériade Éditeur, Paris. There were also 20 sets numbered with Roman numerals reserved for the collaborators.
The papers bear the Arches watermarks, and it is presented with the original wove paper wrappers, cloth-covered boards and slipcase.
Provenance: Private collection, Japan
Literature: Mourlot, F., & Sorlier, C., (1974). Chagall: The Lithographs IV (Catalogue Raisonné). D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc.
Reference: Mourlot 490-527
Note: Marc Chagall’s deep connection to the circus and its performers stems from his childhood in pre-revolutionary Vitebsk, Russia. During local village fairs, acrobats, clowns, and equestrians would arrive to entertain, yet their lack of recognition often left a somber impression on Chagall. This experience instilled in him a lingering fear that he too might face a similar lack of appreciation as an artist. Despite this, Chagall eventually channeled his fascination with the circus into one of his most celebrated lithographic series, Le Cirque.
In 1927, Ambroise Vollard, a leading art dealer and publisher of early 20th-century French art, invited Chagall to create a series of gouaches themed around the circus. Vollard, who himself was a circus enthusiast, even offered Chagall the use of his personal box at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris. Sidney Alexander, Chagall’s biographer, noted that Chagall was “childishly delighted” by this opportunity. However, after Vollard’s tragic death in 1939, Chagall set the project aside. It was not until Tériade, a close friend and prominent art publisher who had also worked with artists like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, encouraged him to revisit it that Chagall resumed work. Tériade’s support reignited Chagall’s passion, and he chose to switch from gouaches to lithography, a technique he had perfected over the previous two decades.
In 1962, Chagall began creating a series of lithographs that captured the vibrant and exhilarating world of the circus. His lithographs featured dreamlike scenes with trapeze artists, dancers, and clowns performing gravity-defying acts amid an adoring audience. The lithographic technique allowed Chagall to integrate his characteristic loose brushwork, rich colors, and layering effects into printmaking. The spontaneity of his hand brilliantly expressed the performers' dazzling movements. The full portfolio, consisting of 38 lithographs—23 in color—was published in 1967 with text by Chagall himself, and it is widely regarded as one of his most remarkable illustrated works.
Condition: Very good condition. Each sheet is generally in very good condition, with very pale time-staining at the extreme sheet edges. A small number of pages have additional handling creases in the corners, most notably plate on the colour plates three, eight and nine. Two colour plates (five and seven) have foxing along the edges of the sheet, visible only verso and not showing recto. Three colour plates have the central vertical fold as issued. A small number of the text pages have minor soft handling creases. There are pencil annotations pertaining to the order of the folio, verso. Overall, the colours remain vibrant. The folio case shows signs of wear and with scattered foxing.
Further images
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 1
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 2
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 3
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 4
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 5
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 6
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 7
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 8
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 9
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 10
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 11
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 12
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 13
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 14
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 15
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 16
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 17
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 18
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 19
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 20
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 21
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 22
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 23
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 24
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 25
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 26
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 27
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 28
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 29
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 30
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 31
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 32
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 33
)
