Roter Vogel und fliegende Frau - Red bird and flying woman

Article description

Original color lithograph by Marc Chagall, printed at Mourlot, Paris. Used as the title page illustration for Derrière le Miroir No. 27/28 (double issue dedicated to Chagall), published by Galerie Maeght, Paris, 1950. Sheet: 38 × 28 cm (15 × 11 inches). A seminal early DLM lithograph — part of the publication that cemented the legendary Chagall–Maeght creative partnership. Marc Chagall (7 July 1887 – 28 March 1985) was one of the most celebrated and beloved artists of the 20th century. Born Marc Zakharovich Shagal in Vitebsk, Belarus (then part of the Russian Empire), he trained in Saint Petersburg before moving to Paris in 1910, where he became part of the vibrant avant-garde of Montparnasse. Drawing on Jewish folk tradition, Russian culture, and the imagery of his Belarusian childhood, Chagall developed a uniquely dreamlike visual language infused with lovers floating above villages, fiddlers on rooftops, animals, angels, and mystical biblical scenes. Associated with Fauvism, Cubism, and Surrealism — yet belonging to none — he was the quintessential 'School of Paris' master. His monumental stained-glass windows, ceiling paintings (including the Paris Opéra), and tapestries brought his vision to public spaces worldwide. Chagall's work is held at MoMA in New York, the Tate in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Guggenheim, and the Musée National Marc Chagall in Nice — inaugurated in 1973 and dedicated to his biblical message cycle. He remains one of the most sought-after names in 20th-century prints, with original lithographs consistently coveted by collectors worldwide. This original color lithograph was created by Chagall for Derrière le Miroir No. 27/28 — a special double issue of the celebrated Galerie Maeght art journal devoted entirely to Chagall, published in Paris in 1950. The image was used as the title page illustration (Titelblatt) of the issue, giving it a particular prominence within this landmark publication. Derrière le Miroir (DLM) was founded by Aimé Maeght in 1946 and ran until 1982, publishing original lithographs by the greatest artists of the School of Paris — Miró, Calder, Giacometti, Braque, and Chagall — directly from stone at the Mourlot studio. These were not reproductions but original graphic works created specifically for the publication. DLM No. 27/28 (1950) is among the earliest and most historically significant issues, produced at the very beginning of the Chagall–Maeght collaboration that would last over three decades. The motif — a red bird alongside a floating female figure — exemplifies Chagall's dreamlike visual poetry at the height of his early post-war period. A rare piece from one of the founding issues of the most important art publication of the School of Paris. In excellent condition. Colors vivid and unfaded. No tears, creases, or foxing. Ready to frame.

Marc Chagall – Roter Vogel und fliegende Frau · Original Color Lithograph · Title Illustration, Derrière le Miroir No. 27/28 · Galerie Maeght, Paris 1950

Printed as a color lithograph at Maeght editeur in Paris, not listed in the,catalogue raisone, which lists all his,original lithographs.