BIBLE. [with] EAUX-FORTES POUR LA BIBLE. in VERVE No. 33/34 [and] DESSINS POUR LA BIBLE. in VERVE No. 37/38

Paris: Tériade, 1956-60. NO. 21 OF 275 COPIES of the Bible on Papier Montval, SIGNED BY CHAGALL. Bible and lithograph volumes: 448 x 348 mm. (17 5/8 x 13 1/2"); "VERVE" text volume: 358 x 270 mm. (14 1/8 x 10 3/4"). Three works in four volumes. Text from the French Geneva translation of 1638.
BIBLE BOUND IN DRAMATIC BLACK MOSAIC MOROCCO DESIGNED BY RENÉE HAAS (stamp-signed on front turn-in, dated 1972 on rear turn-in), covers with onlaid "flames" in shades of plum, marigold yellow, cherry red, and olive green, the design invoking a stained-glass window of the biblical Burning Bush, smooth spine with "BIBLE" in very large gilt lettering, burgundy suede endleaves, all edges gilt; original paper wrappers and WITH HAND-PAINTED BINDING DESIGNS BOUND IN at rear. Housed in chemises of black half morocco with woodgrain covers, the chemise spines with large gilt lettering matching their enclosed volumes, the whole in matching slipcases. The Eaux-Fortes and Designs for the Bible bound in black half morocco with woodgrain covers, matching the chemises of the Bible volumes proper, the two accompanying volumes in their own matching slipcases. WITH 384 IMAGES IN THE FOUR VOLUMES. THE TWO-VOLUME BIBLE WITH 105 ETCHINGS BY CHAGALL, the "VERVE" volumes WITH 105 PHOTOGRAVURE REPRODUCTIONS OF THE ORIGINAL ENGRAVINGS, PLUS 174 ADDITIONAL IMAGES: 96 photogravure reproductions of further "Designs for the Bible" executed in various media, 43 additional color lithographs (including one color title page, and the original color wrappers), and 35 black & white lithographs (the black & white lithographs printed back-to-back with color lithographs). The Artist & the Book 53; Strahan, "The Artist and the Book in France," pp. 160, 164, 327. ◆A VERY FINE COPY with only the most trivial imperfections (occasional faint offsetting from etchings, one double page color lithograph with meticulously repaired insignificant tears), ENTIRELY BRIGHT, FRESH, AND CLEAN INTERNALLY, AND IN SPARKLING AS-NEW BINDINGS.

In a magnificent binding by an eminent female designer and accompanied by additional volumes containing a profusion of Chagall's biblical images, this is a spectacular copy of one of the great illustrated works of the past century. Between the very striking oversized bindings and the proliferation of inimitable images in the Bible and its accompanying volumes, the set makes a captivating, almost overpowering effect. The story of the Chagall Bible begins in 1931, when the artist was approached by Ambroise Vollard about undertaking a commission to illustrate Holy Scripture. Chagall accepted, and departed for Palestine, impelled to see the Holy Land before he tried to depict scenes that held such meaning for him as a Russian Jew. According to W. J. Strahan, the etchings he produced should be praised for "the bold way he treads on the delicate ground of Holy Scripture, avoiding the sentimental and yet preserving the Hebrew imagery. . . . Fundamentally it is the artist's deep understanding, as a Jew, of his tribal history, allied to his aesthetic skill, that has produced this masterpiece." In addition to his life-changing trip to the Holy Land, Chagall also steeped himself in the art of engraving, studying, in particular, the work of Rembrandt. The resulting series of 105 biblical engravings is considered one of Chagall's most important works, and it ranks among the best examples of etching produced in the 20th century. Besides demonstrating Chagall's technical mastery of the art of engraving, his illustrations here speak to us on emotional and spiritual levels. As the great art historian Meyer Shapiro eloquently explains, "Almost every image reveals to us an aspect of its sensitivity: veneration, sadness, joy, translated by the melody of the forms and the range of shades specific to each composition." He also notes that "If we had nothing of Chagall but his Bible, we would consider him one of the great modern artists." After the publication of Chagall's Bible in 1956, Tériade (who took over the project after Vollard's death in 1939), issued reproductions of the 105 etchings for a special double edition of VERVE magazine (nos. 33/34), which also included 30 new lithographic illustrations, including wrapper and title (18 in color and 12 in black & white), which the artist composed especially for this supplementary work. In 1960, Tériade published another issue of VERVE (nos. 37/38), containing biblical images Chagall had executed between 1958-59; these included 96 black & white reproductions of Chagall etchings and 48 additional lithographs, including the wrapper (25 in color, 23 in black & white). The color lithographs provide a wonderful foil to the black & white etchings, and reveal the full powers of a visionary artist who was considered to be one of the most versatile and influential creators of the 20th century. The original Chagall Bible was issued unbound, and many copies remain in that condition--a fact that makes our splendidly bound copy even more desirable. Renée Haas was born in Paris in 1920, and studied classics at the Sorbonne and at Columbia University in New York. She returned to France after World War II, first studying painting and then engraving before taking a binding course from Marguerite Fray. This, she decided, was her métier--but only the design aspect. As Flety notes, she employed very fine professionals, including René Desmules, Jean-Paul Miguet, and Renaud Vernier, to execute her bindings. We get a glimpse of her process in the gouache maquettes bound in here, two showing the different color schemes for each volume, and the binder's pattern sheet for cutting the onlays, with annotations in pencil and pen. Alexandre Loewy, the great publisher and bookseller of artists' books, was an early supporter of Haas, exhibiting her designs at his bookstore in 1957 and helping her to find commissions. Thanks to this introduction, she came to design bindings for some of the greatest artists' books of the 20th century, including three for copies of Matisse's "Jazz" (one of which sold at auction for $140,000 in 1999). The 13 examples of her work found at auction by RBH include books from the greatest names in modern art—Picasso, Juan Gris, Fernand Leger, and Georges Braque, in addition to Chagall and Matisse. She chose to create bindings only for a select group of collectors, and her bindings are consequently uncommon in the marketplace. Because of its power and beauty, the present item has a substantial cost, but, in relative terms, it is a remarkable value. Over the years, copies of the Chagall Bible that were unbound (and that were without features that might inflate results) have consistently fetched hammer prices approaching, and not infrequently exceeding, our price: Christie's $81,250 in 2018 and $85,000 in 2008, Swann $108,000 in 2009 and $156,000 in 2011, etc. The memorable Haas bindings and accompanying extras surely add significant value here when viewed against these other copies..