1965 Lithograph by Marc Chagall From "Lettre À Mon Peintre Raoul Dufy"

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Original untitled lithograph by Marc Chagall from the compendium "Lettre À Mon Peintre Raoul Dufy" (Letter to my Painter Raoul … Read more Original untitled lithograph by Marc Chagall from the compendium "Lettre À Mon Peintre Raoul Dufy" (Letter to my Painter Raoul Dufy), printed in 1965 by Mourlot. Signed in stone lower left. Colophon pages are shown for authentication purposes and not included. Sheet size: 11-3/4 x 18-3/4 inches; print size: 8-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches on vélin Arjomari paper. Center fold as issued. Mint condition new old stock from our exceptional copy of "Lettre À Mon Peintre Raoul Dufy".

Atelier Mourlot is a famous French lithographic print studio founded in Paris in 1852 by François Mourlot and later run by his descendants, most notably Fernand Mourlot in the mid to late 20th Century. The atelier became world-renowned for producing high quality fine art lithographs for some of the most important modern artists, including Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Miró, Braque, and Léger. These prints were made using authentic fine art lithographic techniques, typically with direct involvement from the artist, and are considered artworks in their own, not just reproductions.

Marc Chagall (1887–1985), was a Russian-French artist. He developed an early interest in art. After studying painting, in 1907 he left Russia for Paris, where he lived in an artist colony. While on a visit home, the outbreak of World War I trapped Chagall in Russia, and did not return to France until 1923. Chagall was forced to flee the country and Nazi persecution during World War II, leaving France in May 1941, when it was almost too late. During his asylum in the United States, Chagall became involved in set and costume design before returning to France in 1948. Ironically, it was these non-easel works that caused his artwork to become more widely recognized. Fusing his own personal, dreamlike imagery with hints of the Fauvism and Cubism, Chagall created a highly recognizable style outside that of any movement. In his later years, he experimented with new art forms and was commissioned to produce numerous large-scale works. Perhaps the most famous of these are the two enormous murals he painted in 1966 for the then new Metropolitan Opera House, entitled "The Triumph of Music" and "The Sources of Music". The murals are now considered among New York's most important treasures. They are large enough to be visible from Broadway across the plaza of Lincoln Center. Due to his long, productive life of 98 years, Chagall was the last survivor of the first-generation European modernists, outliving Joan Miró by two years.

Raoul Dufy (1877–1953) was a French painter, watercolorist, and printmaker best known for his vibrant, colorful works that captured the essence of leisure and light. His style evolved throughout his career, from early associations with Fauvism to later works that embraced a more decorative and simplified form of modernism. Raoul Dufy in Le Havre, France. He was the son of a businessman, and his early life was shaped by the coastal environment and the vibrant cityscape of Le Havre. Dufy showed an early interest in art, and in 1895, he moved to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts. He also attended the Académie Julian.

Dufy was drawn to the avant-garde and experimental movements in Paris that emerged in the early 1900s. During this time, he was heavily influenced by Henri Matisse, André Derain, and other artists associated with the Fauvist movement, which was known for its bold use of color and expressive brushwork. Fauvism was a reaction against the muted colors and the restrained academic traditions of the 19th century. Artists like Matisse and Dufy sought to use color not to depict reality, but as a means of emotional expression. As Dufy’s career progressed, he became less concerned with formal theory and more interested in creating an art that reflected the joy of life, leisure, and nature. His paintings from the 1910s onwards reveal a shift toward simplified forms and a decorative, almost graphic quality. These works, often of light-filled coastal scenes, races, and the fashionable life, were influenced by his interest in Impressionism, as well as the decorative arts, especially the Art Deco style.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Dufy became increasingly known for his works on paper, producing watercolors, gouaches, and prints that highlighted the carefree nature of the French Riviera and the elegance of modern life. Dufy was also commissioned to create murals, tapestries, and designs for textiles. Dufy’s later years were marked by both acclaim and unfortunate financial struggles. During World War II, he spent much of his time in the south of France, and his works became more influenced by the harsh realities of the war, even as he continued to celebrate the beauty of life. Despite a declining health and an accident in the early 1950s that impaired his ability to paint, Dufy remained a key figure in the French art world until his death. Dufy’s work had a profound influence on the development of modern French painting and decorative arts. His focus on color, pattern, and light, along with his ability to transform ordinary scenes into joyful spectacles, made him a key figure in the transition from early 20th-century modernism to postmodern decoration. See less