Paris Opera: Romeo and Juliet

Year1964

Not Signed 

Condition Good - Minor folds and creases 

Not Framed 

Purchased fromAuction House 2021 

Provenance / HistoryGalerie Michel, Paris. The sale from which this came described the provenance as “Une Galerie Parisienne Historique” and this was no less then the truth. It was founded in 1912 by Robert Gustav Michel and was situated on the Quai Saint-Michel specialising in graphics by Modern Masters. The last owner, Francoise, sadly retired recently due to ill healthPrinted by: Mourlot Freres, Paris, France. 

Story / Additional InfoParis Opera: Romeo and Juliet. Medium: Original lithograph, 1964, on Arches paper. Size: Paper size: 650 x 1010 mms ; References: Charles Sorlier “Les Affiches de Marc Chagall” pages 50/51 . Charles Sorlier: Chagall Lithographie (Catalogue Raisonne) Volume V, Andre Sauet, Monte Carlo 1984, page 199, Number CS10. Edition: 5000 impressions on standard poster paper. There was also an edition of 200 proofs on Velin Arches paper signed and numbered by the artist without the text. Some unsigned proofs , with letters, were made on Arches paper of which our works are examples of. Notes: This composition showed a detail from the ceiling of the Paris Opera. Andre Malraux, the French Minister of Culture, commissioned the artist to work on this vast project. He divided the vast space into several colour zones and wove together scenes and characters from the most beloved operas and ballets. The mural would honour the works of fourteen composers, from Mussorgsky to Mozart and Beethoven. 

Certificate of AuthenticityArt Brokerage 

Additional InformationMotivated 

LID146073

Marc Chagall - Russian Federation

Art Brokerage: Park West: Marc Chagall French-Russian Artist: Marc Chagall was a French-Russian artist whose work anticipated the dream-like imagery of Surrealism. Over the course of his career Chagall developed the poetic, amorphous, and deeply personal visual language evident in the painting I and the Village (1911). "When I am finishing a picture, I hold some God-made object up to it—a rock, a flower, the branch of a tree or my hand as a final test," he said. "If the painting stands up beside a thing man cannot make, the painting is authentic. If there's a clash between the two, it's bad art." Born Moishe Shagal on July 7, 1887 in Vitebsk, Russia (present-day Belarus) to a Hasidic Jewish family, the artist was raised immersed in Jewish culture and iconography. Studying under the artist Yehuda Pen as a youth, the Judaic traditions and folklore of his hometown permeated Chagall's paintings. After studying in St. Petersburg, the artist moved to Paris in 1910, where he quickly befriended members of the French avant-garde, including Robert Delaunay and Fernand Léger. Visiting Russia in 1914, the artist was prevented from returning to Paris due to the outbreak of World War I until 1926. In addition to his paintings, Chagall was also noted for his vibrant works in stained glass and lithography. Forced to flee Paris during World War II, Chagall lived in the United States and traveled through to Israel before returning to France in 1948. The artist died in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France on March 28, 1985. Today, his works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the Albertina in Vienna, among others. Listings wanted.