MARC CHAGALL "Le chêne et le roseau" 1927 ( The oak and the reed ) Plate 12 " from " Fables De la Fontaine " Etching on Montval paper Sheet: 42 x 34 cm , with full margins Edition of 100, not individually numbered (as issued) Hand signed lower right and annotated "12", that refer to plate 12 from the suite "Fable de la Fontaine" which is composed by 100 plates Published by Tériade, Paris, Publications / Catalogue Raisonnée : This print is fully documented and referenced in the official Catalogue Raisonnée - Cramer "Chagall - Les Livre Illustrés" no. 22 Provenance: - Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris Historical Notes: In 1927, Chagall began working on another project for Vollard, a series of etchings illustrating The Fables of La Fontaine. In these plates we move from the fantastic Russia of Chagall’s imagination and memory to the more dream-like world of ancient myth and fable, told and retold, changing from time to time and place to place, but ultimately always the same. The etching needle draws the most delicately ramified foliage and bush patterns, the texture of plumage and soft fur, and through shadings and cross-hatchings gives a range of tonalities . . . from white to a deep black. . . . Thus each picture is the result of a long series of working stages in the course of which the pictorial design in light and dark is slowly worked out in a process comparable to the building up of the color structure in a painting. The Fables illustrate the grand themes of life that interested Chagall in his other works: love, death, and human folly. 
 About this print: What is the moral of "The Oak and the Reed" ? Although the oak is seemingly more resilient, its pride gets the better of it. The reed is more humble, both in words and attitude: "bending over" is often considered a virtue of acceptance and patience. Condition report: A tear in the left side of the sheet that has been stopped to prevent widening. Paper crease in the upper margin of the plate The damages can be fixed by a restorer Framing: The print is nicely framed with anti-reflection museum glass Dimensions with frame: 66 x 55 cm