Printed by

Mourlot Frères, Paris

Published by

Galerie Maeght, Paris

Dimensions

Sheet: 54.6 × 43.8 cm (21½ × 17¼ in.)

Literature

Fernand Mourlot, Chagall Lithographe, No. 406.

Condition

Mild to moderate time toning, most evident beneath the former mount along the sheet edges. The colours remain bright and fresh. Presented framed under acrylic and not examined out of the frame.

Catalogue Note

Created in 1964, Musicians on a Green Background belongs to one of Marc Chagall's most enduring and poetic subjects. Throughout his career, musicians occupied a central place in his imagery, appearing as symbols of memory, celebration and the spiritual traditions of the Jewish communities of his native Vitebsk. Rather than serving simply as performers, they became timeless figures representing the power of music to unite imagination, faith and everyday life.

Against a rich, luminous green background, the musicians emerge with characteristic vitality and lyricism. Chagall's masterful use of colour transforms the composition into something dreamlike, dissolving the boundaries between reality and fantasy. The brilliant green field is not merely a backdrop but an active element within the composition, surrounding the figures with an atmosphere of energy and emotional resonance while intensifying the vibrant colours of the performers themselves.

Music was one of the defining metaphors of Chagall's art. Violinists, orchestras and circus musicians appear throughout his paintings, drawings and prints, embodying joy, nostalgia and the continuity of cultural tradition. As with many of his greatest compositions, the present work blends personal memory with universal symbolism, creating an image that is at once deeply intimate and immediately accessible.

Printed by the legendary Mourlot workshops and published by Galerie Maeght, this lithograph demonstrates the extraordinary technical achievements of Chagall's collaboration with master lithographers in Paris. The subtle layering of colour, rich tonal harmonies and fluid, painterly quality exemplify the remarkable possibilities of the lithographic medium in the hands of one of the twentieth century's greatest colourists.

Issued in a small edition of only fifty impressions and signed by the artist, Musicians on a Green Background represents an exceptional example of Chagall's mature graphic work. Combining radiant colour, expressive line and timeless symbolism, it captures the poetic vision that made Chagall one of the most beloved artists of the modern era.