William Bennett Gallery

Marc Chagall
(1887 - 1985)

Russian Painter, illustrator, ceramist, designer.

Known as a Parisian artist, Marc Chagall always maintained an interest in his Russian origins and his Jewish heritage.

His oeuvre is an amalgam of eastern Judaic spirituality, Hasidism, Russian folk art and French modernity. Although Chagall cannot be classified under one artistic movement, the influence of Orphism, the magic of Henri Rousseau and the religious fervor of Georges Rouault all join forces in his works to create a separate universe — a world with a passion for fairytales and recurring themes of clowns...

Portfolios:

The Story of Exodus

Homère, L'Odyssée

The Story of Exodus
Chagall was introduced in 1948 to original lithography by Fernand Mourlot, owner of one of the world's great lithography workshops. In the thirty-five years following over one thousand original lithographs were created by his hand. These amazing and vibrant works of art place Chagall as perhaps the greatest lithographer of modern art.

In 1966, Leon Amiel published The Story of the Exodus, a portfolio containing twenty-four large color lithographs, twenty-three of which were printed on paper measuring 500x370mm and one double-size plate with a centerfold. The edition consisted of 285 signed portfolios, 250 on Velin d'Arches numbered from 1 to 250.

The name Exodus means "going out" or “departure". It refers not only to one of the most important events of the book, the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, but also to other highly significant events as well, such as the oppression of the Chosen People in Egypt, the flight and call of Moses, and God’s covenant with the nation Israel at Sinai - an experience culminating in His giving of the moral law (Ten Commandments) through Moses to the people.

Chagall’s illustrations of this story are a wonderful example of the artist’s masterful use of vivid color and texture. The Story of Exodus as done by Chagall re-introduces a celebrated historical tale in a refreshingly beautiful way.

Biblia Sacra
This suite, containing 105 lithographs on heavy rag paper within five illustrated volumes of the Bible in Vulgate, was published in 1969 by Rizzoli Editions, Milan, Italy and is the largest published suite of Dali’s work. Six years in the making, from 1963 – 1969, the suite was commissioned by Dali’s good friend and leading Dali patron Guiseppe Albaretto, who wanted to lead the artist to God and back to the Catholic Church. He believed that Dali was too influenced by his wife, Gala, who was, in his eyes, "beyond redemption."
The illustrations, rich in both color and content, show the artist’s range of creativity as they exhibit a wide variety of imagery – some Christian and some based on classical mythology. The works also show Dali’s spontaneity, as the artist employed the use of “bulletism,” a Dalinian invention where an arquebus (a type of antique gun) was loaded with ink-filled capsules and then fired at blank sheets of paper. The resultant patterns/designs were then incorporated into the suite’s illustrations.

Les Caprices de Goya
227 years after the birth of Spanish master Francisco Goya, Salvador Dali had an idea to transform Goya’s Los Caprichos and present a new work. Goya’s Los Caprichos was an artistic experiment exposing the foolish superstitions in 18th century Spanish society. Goya described the series as depicting "the innumerable foibles and follies to be found in any civilized society, and from the common prejudices and deceitful practices which custom, ignorance, or self-interest have made usual". The body of work was withdrawn from public sale before their planned release in 1799. Only a formal order from King Carlos IV kept Goya from being called before the Spanish Inquisition. In 1973 Salvador Dali created a metamorphosis of Goya’s suite into a colorful surrealist masterpiece. From the numbered edition of 200, each piece is hand signed by Salvador Dali and is a genuine rarity for the Dali and Goya admirers.

Tauromachie surréaliste
Dali's 1966/7 transformation Picasso's famous "Tauromaquia Suite" of 1957-59 was an extension of the lifelong artistic dialog carried on between the two artists. These astonishing works are teeming with the most iconic of Dalinian imagery. Encompassing all aspects of the sport as seen through the eyes of the Surrealist master, Dali is not timid with his numerous references to Catholicism, the Spanish court, and his criticism of each.
Spanish-style bullfighting is normally fatal for the bull, and it is very dangerous for the matador. The aesthetic of bullfighting is based on the interaction of the man and the bull. Rather than a competitive sport, the bullfight is more of a ritual which is judged by aficionados (bullfighting fans) based on artistic impression and command. Ernest Hemingway said of it in his 1932 non-fiction book Death in the Afternoon "Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter's honour."
This remarkable suite contains 7 etchings with original remarques on special Japan Paper and is hand-signed by the artist. William Bennett Gallery is honored to be able to present these spectacular works for acquisition individually and as a rarely available complete portfolio.