A pioneer of modernism, Marc Chagall formulated his own symbolic system in which reverie and playfulness often reigned, presenting an ethereal, richly coloured vision of the world. The set of forty-two lithographs entitled Daphnis & Chloé illustrates a famous classical fable written by the Greek poet Longus in the second century. Chagall expresses the pastoral idylls of the young goatherd Daphnis and the young shepherdess Chloé on the Greek island of Lesbos through fanciful compositions and bright hues. Because of the technical mastery involved in their production and the exquisite results achieved, Chagall’s vibrant illustrations are considered his most important works among his vast graphic production. These lithographs highlight Chagall’s unique style and set him apart from the main 20th-century pictorial currents followed by some of his contemporaries, such as Matisse and Picasso.
