The Heifer, the Goat, and the Sheep, in Company with the Lion - Plate 4 from "Les Fables de la Fontaine"

 

Marc Chagall

  1887 - 1985 (biography)

1931 (published 1952) 

etching and aquatint 

11 1/2 x 9 7/8" platemark 

pencil signed; signed in plate, lower left 

edition of 100 on Montval paper 

pencil numbered "4" 

This plate is Sorlier 100; the portfolio: Garvey 52, Sorlier 97 through 198; Chagall Books 22 

heavy antique-white laid Montval 

published 

begun by Vollard, published by Teriade 

JEJA123 

$3,000.00 

La Fontaine Fables, Eaux Fortes Originales with illustrations by Marc Chagall was commissioned by Vollard to be printed as color engravings to illustrate 100 of the fables by Jean Fontaine. Chagall produced 100 preliminary gouaches but the project was abandoned due to the difficulties of transferring the images to plates and the outrage of the French at having a Russian artist illustrate the work of the French author. Chagall then etched his imagery on copper plates to be printed in black and white. Maurice Potin printed the plates at L’Imprimerie Nationale de France in Paris between 1927 and 1930. The works were finally published as an album by Tériade in 1952. The edition consisted of a portfolio edition of 100 proofs, printed in black on Montval laid paper and signed by Chagall in pencil on the right margin. The plate number was added in pencil on the left margin. There was also an edition of 200, printed on Rives, that was unsigned, of which there were 85 copies were hand colored by the artist. References: Garvey 52; Sorlier 97–198; Chagall Books 22