CHAGALL, Marc (1887-1985). Bible. Paris: Tériade, èditeur, 1956.

2 volumes, folio. 105 etchings, hors-texte, full margins. (Some very slight offsetting of etchings to text.) Modern black morocco by Renée Haas stamp-signed and dated 1972, sides with overall stylized mosaic evoking flames of plum, cranberry, yellow and olive morocco onlays, spines gilt-lettered, top edge gilt, others uncut and gilt, cranberry suede doublures, plum suede and black morocco-tipped endleaves; original wrappers bound in; black morocco-backed and edged wood-grain covered chemises gilt-lettered on spine and with fleece lining; black morocco-tipped wood-grain covered slipcases (a few tiny scuffs to slipcases).

LIMITED EDITION, number 21 of 275 copies on Papier Montval SIGNED BY CHAGALL. Chagall was commissioned by Ambroise Vollard for this edition of The Bible in 1931, and it took 25 years to finish the commission. Between 1931 and 1939, he created 65 etchings; after Vollard's death in 1939, Tériade took over the project. Chagall completed the remaining 40 etchings between 1952 and 1956, and which point the etchings were reproduced for a special edition of Verve (Vol.8, Nos. 33/34, see below). Writing in Verve about Chagall's interpretation, Meyer Schapiro described Chagall as "a rare modern painter whose art has been accessible to the full range of his emotions and thoughts...He has represented themes of an older tradition not in a spirit of curiosity or artifice, but with a noble devotion...If we had nothing of Chagall but his Bible, he would be for us a great modern artist." The Artist & the Book 53; Cramer 29.

IN AN EXCEPTIONAL MODERN BINDING BY RENEÉ HAAS depicting her interpretation of the burning bush. Bound into each volume are gouache renderings of the cover design, presumably by Haas. Bound into volume II is the binder's pattern sheet with annotations in pencil and pen presumably used to cut the onlays. Another copy of Chagall's Bible in a similar patterned binding by Haas was sold by Christie's in Paris on 21 May 2003 (sale 5052, lot 60).

[Similarly bound with:] CHAGALL. Eaux-fortes pour la Bible. Paris, 1956. Verve No. 33/34. -- Dessins pour la Bible. Paris, 1960. Verve No. 37/38.

2 works in 2 volumes, 4to. Text to both works bound together in one volume. The original lithographed wrappers and original lithographs bound together in one volume, the lithographed wrappers mounted on larger sheets, and the plates hinged to larger sheets, all with manuscript captions on blank sheets. The two volumes are uniformly bound in the style of the chemises of the Bible volumes, with black morocco-backed and edged wood-grain covered boards, spines lettered in gilt and silver, top edges gilt, others uncut, red paper doublures, wood-grained endleaves STAMP-SIGNED BY RENEÉ HAAS; morocco-tipped slipcases covered in wood-grained material. FIRST FRENCH EDITIONS of Verve 33/34 and 37/38.

Property from the Estate of Morton and Estelle Sosland, Kansas City, Missouri

CHAGALL, Marc (1887-1985). Bible. Paris: Tériade, èditeur, 1956.