Marc Chagall – Dessins et aquarelles pour “Le Ballet”, text by Jacques Lassaigne, Paris, XXe Siècle, 1969. Important illustrated volume dedicated to Chagall’s work for the ballet, printed in France and measuring approximately 35 × 26 cm. The book contains one original color lithograph by Marc Chagall, printed by Mourlot Frères (catalogued Mourlot 581; Cramer 78), together with numerous color and monochrome reproductions after the artist’s drawings and gouaches related to stage and costume design.
This copy is of particular interest as it bears a full handwritten dedication and signature by Marc Chagall on the title page, dated 1975, reading: “Pour M. Thomas Bangert / Marc Chagall / 1975”, executed in pencil. The inscription is well placed and clearly legible, adding a strong personal and collectible dimension to the volume, beyond the standard unsigned examples from the edition.
The work is preserved in excellent, near mint condition, with clean, bright interior pages, no foxing, and a tight, well-preserved binding. It retains its original publisher’s illustrated wrappers and is protected by the original transparent acetate dust-jacket. Additionally, the volume is housed in its original publisher’s slipcase, which remains in very good condition, with only minimal signs of handling.
Published in an edition of approximately 10,000 unnumbered copies, this title is widely recognized in Chagall’s printed oeuvre; however, copies bearing a complete autograph dedication by the artist are significantly rarer and increasingly sought after. The presence of the original Mourlot lithograph, combined with the autograph inscription and the survival of the original slipcase and acetate, places this example among the more desirable copies currently encountered on the market.
