Marc Chagall (1887–1985), Rebecca, 1930s (1931)

Color lithograph on Arches vellum paper; 48 x 35 cm (composition), mounted in a frame measuring 50 x 40 cm;
signed on the plate below the composition, lower right: “Chagall” 1931
Publisher: Atelier Draeger Paris
This work was published as part of the exclusive portfolio “Le Message Biblique” (a collection summarizing his major religious works and dedicated to the artist’s biblical oeuvre).
The Draeger publishing house produced these prints as official and licensed editions designated as “d’après Chagall” prints (based on Marc Chagall’s 1931 gouache). The signature “Chagall 1931” is inscribed on the lithographic plate (so-called “signed in the plate”).
The work captures the full depth of Chagall’s 1931 gouache, delighting with its rich colors, poetic atmosphere, and masterful use of contrasts between greens, blues, and deep reds.
The composition “Eliezer and Rebecca” is the quintessence of Marc Chagall’s unique style, blending biblical mysticism with poetic magical realism. The work is based on a brilliant play of colors. The intense, floral red of Rebecca’s skirt symbolizes youth, vitality, and the earth. It contrasts with the cool, emerald green of Eliezer’s robes as he stands behind her, as well as the pastel, almost ethereal backdrop of the desert sky. The scene refers to the Old Testament story from the Book of Genesis. It depicts Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, who set out to find a wife for Isaac and met Rebecca at the well.