Daphnis and Chloe – Marc Chagall 1977 | 1st Edition

Daphnis and Chloe – Illustrated by Marc Chagall (1977 Limited Edition)

This sumptuous limited-edition art book pairs the ancient Greek pastoral romance Daphnis and Chloe—written by Longus in the 2nd century AD—with Marc Chagall’s luminous lithographs, created in 1961 but reproduced here in a lavish 1977 volume. Chagall’s vibrant, dreamlike illustrations capture the idyllic love story of two shepherds on the island of Lesbos, infusing the classical tale with his signature blend of folkloric whimsy and modernist emotion.

Chagall’s plates burst with floating lovers, blooming meadows, and cerulean seas, rendered in his trademark hues of cobalt, emerald, and fiery orange. The artist’s playful distortions—Daphnis and Chloe entwined among giant flowers, or tumbling through starry skies—mirror the text’s themes of innocence, erotic awakening, and nature’s bounty.

Published as a deluxe folio, the edition often features hand-tipped plates and a scholarly preface contextualizing Chagall’s interpretation within his broader oeuvre (echoing his Song of Songs and Circus series).

“Chagall’s brush turns myth into music—where love is lighter than air, and twice as bright.”

A pinnacle of 20th-century livre d’artiste. Original 1977 editions are prized by collectors for their textile-bound covers and radiant color fidelity.

Note: The lithographs were originally created for Tériade’s Verve magazine (1961) and later compiled into standalone volumes.