Marc Chagall

The Circus [Le Cirque], by Marc Chagall, 1967.

• Sold as a set of 38.
• The complete suite of lithographs in colors on Arches wove paper.
• Hand signed and inscribed.
• Edition 244 out of 250.
• Presented in wove paper wrappers, cloth-covered boards and slipcase.

This complete suite of 38 original lithographs in colors 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.

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.

Hand-signed.

Private collection, Japan.

Mourlot, F., & Sorlier, C., (1974). Chagall: The Lithographs IV (Catalogue Raisonné). D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. Reference: Mourlot 490-527