Lithograph, 1978

Edition : 50 ex.

Printer : Mourlot (Paris)

Catalog : [Mourlot 932]

61.50 cm. x 47.00 cm. | 24.21 in. x 18.5 in. (paper)

41.00 cm. x 31.00 cm. | 16.14 in. x 12.2 in. (image)

Handsigned by the artist in pencil
Artist proof
Annoted "EA"
Certificate of authenticity
Very good condition

framing window

Executed in the last years of his life, The Painter Before the Canvas is a soft and moving meditation on creation. In it, Chagall depicts an artist absorbed in his work, painting Notre-Dame de Paris at dawn, in a moment suspended between night and light. Behind him, angels descend a ladder, while a couple gently moves forward: figures dear to Chagall, they introduce the spiritual, amorous, and poetic dimension that runs through his entire oeuvre.
The palette, imbued with softness and warmth, underlines the intimate link between the painter and his creation. This seemingly simple lithograph nonetheless addresses essential themes: transmission, love, spirituality, but also the awareness of the end of life. It appears as a tribute to everything that shaped the artist: his vision of the world, his faith in the imaginary, and that unique way of making color live like an inner song.

Ref : LCD7663