Marc Chagall (1887 Vitebsk - 1985 Saint-Paul-de-Vence) Sheet 23 from the suite "Le Cirque". Original title Colour lithograph/Arches Velin, 1967. signed and numbered 17/24. wvz. Mourlot 512, Cramer 68, printed by Fernand Mourlot, Paris, and published by Tériade Editeur, Paris. The present lithograph from the series "Le Cirque", with its poetic, fairytale-like, colourful and highly painterly realisation, is one of the most beautiful and striking sheets in this series with its pictorial invention characteristic of Chagall. It captures the dynamic, lively energy of the circus and its artists by showing a multi-faceted depiction of a circus performance with various acts. Navy blue and pink merge into clouds of purple colour in the upper part of the picture, creating the illusion of undulating shadows under the circus tent. The various figures and the red horse seem to float dreamlike in space, regardless of the laws of gravity or perspective. Compositionally and musically, the scene is framed by a fantastic fish-like figure with a hand drum, a figure with a violin and an oversized, angel-like figure with a flute. Chagall's deep connection, fascination and love for the circus and its performers can be traced back to formative childhood memories in the village of Vitebsk in Russia. For Chagall, the circus also remained a "metaphor for life" and in 1967 he wrote in "Le Cirque" (in translation): "I have always regarded clowns, acrobats and actors as tragically human beings (...)". At the end of the 1920s, Ambroise Vollard, the important publisher, art dealer and circus enthusiast, encouraged him to realise the circus theme in a series of prints, but he only produced 19 preparatory gouaches. It was not until the 1960s that the publisher Tériade was able to encourage Chagall to once again devote himself intensively to the circus theme. In 1965-1967, Chagall enthusiastically explored the idea of publishing his text "Cirque" with his own illustrations in a book. Published by Tériade in 1967 in an edition of 250 copies, "Le Cirque" is undoubtedly one of the most important and personal of all Chagall's illustrated books, for which he created 23 magnificent colour lithographs. In addition to the book edition, a luxurious, separate suite of the colour lithographs with wider margins was printed in a small edition of only 24 copies, each sheet individually signed and numbered by Chagall. Image approx. 42.5 cm x 32.4 cm; sheet approx. 51.1 cm x 38.1 cm. Frame. Provenance: Private collection Monaco. Lithograph in colours on Arche wove paper. Hand-signed in pencil and numbered 17/24 (There is also an unsigned book edition of 250 copies). Printed by Mourlout and published by Tériade Editeur, Paris.