Marc Chagall (1887–1985)
Le Plafond de l’Opéra de Paris
Text by Jacques Lassaigne
Monte Carlo: André Sauret, 1965
Large quarto volume (approx. 32.6 × 24.3 cm), comprising c. 90–94 pages, richly illustrated throughout with color and black reproductions. The work includes seven lithographs after Chagall, all printed by Mourlot Frères, including a color lithograph frontispiece (Mourlot 434).
Additionally, the volume contains a folding plate (approx. 61.5 × 47.5 cm) reproducing the ceiling composition of the Paris Opéra, inserted at the end.
Publisher’s original red cloth, stamped in black, with illustrated dust jacket and original slipcase. A well-preserved example, the dust jacket showing only minimal signs of wear.
This publication documents one of Chagall’s most important monumental commissions: the ceiling of the Palais Garnier in Paris, commissioned in 1964 under the direction of André Malraux.
The book includes historical context, preparatory studies, sketches, and maquettes, as well as a detailed account of the artistic and technical realization of the ceiling (covering approximately 220 m²). It also features a poetic text by Louis Aragon and concludes with Chagall’s own reflections on the project.
Edition:
Unnumbered edition.
Particular copy:
This example is highly desirable, bearing a full-page handwritten dedication signed by Marc Chagall and dated “St. Paul 1975” on the title page.
The inscription reads:
“Pour Thomas Bangert … Marc Chagall, St. Paul 1975”
Such inscriptions from Saint-Paul-de-Vence—where Chagall spent his later years—are particularly sought after and firmly attributable to his late, mature period.
Bibliography:
Cramer, Catalogue raisonné des livres illustrés, no. 61
Mourlot, Chagall Lithographe, no. 434
Remarks:
While the edition itself is not limited, copies with clear, dated inscriptions by Chagall—especially from his Saint-Paul period—are significantly rarer than standard examples.
The combination of:
a major documented commission (Paris Opéra ceiling),
original lithographic content printed by Mourlot,
and a fully legible, dated autograph inscription,
places this copy in a distinctly higher collecting category compared to ordinary market examples.
