Marc Chagall - The Blue Bouquet

This print is a beautiful example of the collaborative work between the Russian-French master Marc Chagall and his master lithographer, Charles Sorlier.

Based on the imagery and the text visible at the bottom, here is a breakdown of what you have:

1. The Artwork: "The Blue Bouquet" (Le Bouquet Bleu)

The central image is a reproduction of a theme Chagall returned to often: vibrant flowers set against a dreamlike, nocturnal blue background.

• Symbolism: You can see classic Chagall motifs—a mother and child floating in the upper center, a crescent moon, and the profile of a donkey or goat (often representing the artist’s childhood in Vitebsk) at the bottom left.

• The Inscription: At the bottom left of the image, it says "D'APRES MARC CHAGALL - CH. SORLIER GRAV."

  • D'Après: This is French for "after." it means this is a lithographic interpretation of an original painting by Chagall, rather than a "primary" print drawn on the stone by the artist himself.

  • Ch. Sorlier Grav.: This identifies Charles Sorlier as the engraver/lithographer. Sorlier was Chagall’s most trusted collaborator at the famous Mourlot Studios in Paris.

2. Identifying the Edition

This specific piece appears to be an exhibition poster or a decorative lithographic print.

• Commercial Posters: Many of these were produced in the 1960s and 70s to advertise exhibitions at galleries or museums (like the Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall in Nice).

• Artistic Value: While these "after" prints (created by Sorlier with Chagall’s permission) are not as valuable as original hand-signed lithographs, they are highly collectible and respected in the art world because of the incredible quality of the Mourlot printing process.