CHAGALL'S LITHOGRAPHE AND AFFICHES, PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED
(CHAGALL, Marc) CAIN, Julien and SORLIER, Charles. Lithographe. (Tokyo): Publishers 2000, 1978. Together, five volumes. Folio, original leatherette, original clear plastic dust jackets, original slipcases. $2500.
Limited Japanese edition of this catalogue raisonné, number 877 of 1000 sets, richly illustrated.
For Chagall, the medium of lithography did not come easily. Printer Fernand Mourlot ran a lithography press where such greats as Braque, Matisse, Picasso, Miró and Chagall came to have their designs printed and to learn about this still nascent print-making process. "For many long months Chagall came and worked tirelessly, and his dissatisfaction allowed him to have only a few of his first attempts printed" (Sorlier, 45). With entries in Japanese; the regular text sections are in French. The fifth volume is devoted to Chagall's posters.
A lovely set.