An original colour etching with aquatint from Marc Chagall’s illustrated collaboration with the poet Louis Aragon, combining literature and printmaking in a characteristically poetic visual language.

Medium

Original etching and aquatint in colours on Velin Arches paper

Date

1975–1976

Edition

Proof from the edition of 200 impressions with the publisher’s watermark ME (Maeght Éditeur).

These impressions were issued unsigned.

There were also 25 impressions printed on Japan paper signed and numbered by the artist in pencil.

Format

Proof with full margins, still attached to the accompanying page of printed text (folded over)

Printer

Lacourière et Frélaut, Paris, France

Publisher

Maeght Éditeur, Paris

Size

Paper: 360 × 470 mm

Image: 300 × 391 mm

Literature

Patrick Cramer, Marc Chagall: Les Livres Illustrés, reference 99, pages 292–293

Quarante ans d’édition Maeght, page 106

During the later decades of his career Marc Chagall produced a series of remarkable illustrated books in collaboration with major writers and publishers. These projects allowed him to unite poetry and visual art in a way that perfectly suited his imaginative and lyrical style. The present etching belongs to Chagall’s illustrated work with the poet Louis Aragon and reflects the dreamlike imagery that has made the artist one of the most distinctive figures of twentieth century art.

In Ce lui qui dit les choses sans rien dire, Chagall presents a whimsical and dreamlike scene in which a figure somersaults above the roof of a cottage. The composition feels suspended between reality and imagination. The figure appears weightless and playful as it arcs above the architecture below.

Chagall’s etched line remains fluid and expressive while the aquatint introduces delicate passages of colour and atmosphere. The result is both spontaneous and finely controlled, balancing lyricism with structure.

The title translates loosely as “Those who say things without saying anything,” drawn from Louis Aragon’s poetry. In this project Aragon’s text acts largely as a tribute to Chagall, while Chagall’s images focus on the motifs that recur throughout his work.

Floating figures, village houses and moments of transformation are central to Chagall’s visual language. They often evoke memory, folklore and the theatre of everyday life. Here, the tumbling figure suggests freedom and imagination, the ability of art to lift experience into the realm of the poetic.

Chagall stands among the great printmakers of the twentieth century. Alongside painting, stained glass and stage design, he produced some of the most important modern illustrated books, works that sit between book arts and independent printmaking.

Maeght Éditeur played a key role in this area, producing editions in collaboration with leading writers and master printers. In these projects, image and text work together to create an immersive poetic experience.

By the mid 1970s Chagall was one of the most celebrated living artists in the world. His work had been widely exhibited internationally and he continued to receive major public commissions.

In this late period Chagall revisited the subjects that defined his career including love, village life, music and spiritual symbolism. His illustrated books from these years show an artist working with confidence and clarity, returning to the poetic imagery that had become inseparable from his name.

Throughout the 1970s Chagall continued to produce important illustrated books and prints while also working on painting and monumental stained glass. His late commissions and publications reinforced his reputation as a master of colour and lyrical imagination.

The illustrated projects produced with Maeght during this decade represent some of the most refined examples of his late printmaking practice, combining technical excellence with a uniquely poetic visual vocabulary.

The illustrated book editions were carefully produced in limited numbers and printed by master printers in Paris. Proof impressions such as the present example provide direct access to the imagery of the series while retaining the quality of the official edition, confirmed here by the Maeght watermark.

The present work is particularly appealing because it retains its original context, with full margins still attached to the accompanying page of printed text. This survival detail preserves the work’s relationship to the illustrated book project rather than presenting it as a later separated plate.

Chagall’s work is held in major museum collections worldwide and his prints and illustrated books form a significant part of his artistic legacy. His graphic work continues to be widely studied and exhibited, valued for its combination of technical refinement and poetic imagery.

This etching forms part of a suite of twenty five original full page colour etchings with aquatint created to accompany Louis Aragon’s poetry. Across the series Chagall explores many of his favourite themes, dreamlike figures, village architecture and scenes that hover between reality and imagination.

Together the suite demonstrates Chagall’s ability to translate poetic language into visual form.

Etching allowed Chagall to draw directly onto the plate, producing expressive and fluid linear forms. Aquatint introduced subtle tonal passages and colour fields that give the image atmosphere and depth.

Printed on Velin Arches paper by Lacourière et Frélaut, the work reflects the high technical standards associated with Chagall’s book collaborations and the finest Parisian print ateliers.

Chagall’s illustrated books have been the subject of extensive scholarly study, notably in Patrick Cramer’s catalogue Marc Chagall: Les Livres Illustrés. These publications document his collaborations with major poets and publishers and confirm the importance of printmaking within his late career.

Publisher’s proof bearing the watermark ME (Maeght Éditeur), with the page of printed text still attached

Marc Chagall remains one of the most distinctive voices of twentieth century art. His work merges modernist experimentation with personal memory, folklore and spirituality, creating imagery that is instantly recognisable.

Across painting, printmaking and monumental commissions, Chagall developed a poetic visual language that continues to resonate with collectors and institutions worldwide.

Chagall’s prints and illustrated books remain highly sought after, supported by a deep international collector base and strong scholarly documentation. Works published by Maeght and printed by leading Parisian ateliers hold particular appeal due to their quality and their place within Chagall’s most important late book projects.

This work offers a vivid example of Chagall’s poetic imagination within an illustrated book context, combining literary association with masterful printmaking. The lively imagery and refined technique make it a strong representation of Chagall’s late graphic work.

The Maeght watermark confirms its origin within the official edition and the fact that the proof remains attached to the accompanying printed text page adds an attractive layer of originality and historical integrity for collectors.

Works presented by Dantzig Gallery are selected for their art historical significance, provenance and enduring cultural relevance.