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Lot Essay
The Comité Marc Chagall has confirmed the authenticity of this work.
During 1955-56 Chagall completed a number of important oils and gouaches with Biblical subjects. Le Psaume de Jérémie is a powerful depiction of the great 7th century BC prophet, hands outstretched and filled with the word of God. The prophet towers upward to the sky, flanked by a fiery sun and cobalt blue moon. Jeremiah "...is curiously akin in spirit to the modern world. He lived in a confused and insecure time, in which the old values were crumbling and even a man of God could be assailed by doubt and a sense of alienation from society. With it all, Jeremiah clung to a vision of a happier world..." (J. Comay, Who's Who the Old Testament, London, 1993, p. 184).
Throughout his career, Chagall looked to the Bible for inspiration and subject matter. In 1973 Chagall wrote about his relationship to the Bible: "Ever since early childhood, I have been captivated by the Bible. It has always seemed to me and still seems today the greatest source of poetry of all time. I have searched for its reflection in life and in art the Bible is like an echo of nature and this is the secret I have tried to convey." (Chagall a Retrospective (ed. J. Baal-Teshuva), New York, 1995, p. 295).
During 1955-56 Chagall completed a number of important oils and gouaches with Biblical subjects. Le Psaume de Jérémie is a powerful depiction of the great 7th century BC prophet, hands outstretched and filled with the word of God. The prophet towers upward to the sky, flanked by a fiery sun and cobalt blue moon. Jeremiah "...is curiously akin in spirit to the modern world. He lived in a confused and insecure time, in which the old values were crumbling and even a man of God could be assailed by doubt and a sense of alienation from society. With it all, Jeremiah clung to a vision of a happier world..." (J. Comay, Who's Who the Old Testament, London, 1993, p. 184).
Throughout his career, Chagall looked to the Bible for inspiration and subject matter. In 1973 Chagall wrote about his relationship to the Bible: "Ever since early childhood, I have been captivated by the Bible. It has always seemed to me and still seems today the greatest source of poetry of all time. I have searched for its reflection in life and in art the Bible is like an echo of nature and this is the secret I have tried to convey." (Chagall a Retrospective (ed. J. Baal-Teshuva), New York, 1995, p. 295).