1984
Original lithograph printed in colors on wove paper.
Hand-signed in pencil in the margin lower right
Marc Chagall. A fine impression of the definitive state, from the edition of 50, numbered “24/50” in pencil lower left. Published by Maeght éditeur, Paris; printed at Atelier Fernand Mourlot, Paris.
Catalog: Mourlot 1034
Image size: 24 1/4 x 18 7/8 inches
Sheet size: 32 3/4 x 23 5/8 inches
In excellent condition, with strong, fresh colors, printed on a sheet with full margins.
In the summer of 1983, Marc Chagall spoke to his publisher of “a series in progress” referring to his continued experiments in color lithography. This series is documented in Fernand Mourlot’s sixth and final volume of the catalogue raisonne of Chagall’s lithographs as item 1001 culminating with item 1034, the lithograph described above.
Though there were actually sixteen final subjects on which the artist was working prior to his death on March 28, 1985,
Le Ciel was the final lithograph to have been hand-signed by Chagall. The final sixteen lithographs were eventually published, but they were issued bearing only a stamp signature.
