Etching 3, Psalm 3, 1980

"Etching 3, Psalm 3" is an etching with aquatint created by Marc Chagall for his 1980 series 'Psalms of David'. From the edition of 40, the artwork is signed 'Marc Chagall' lower right and annotated lower left. The artwork is framed in a classic gold-toned frame and has a framed size of 22 x 19". The artwork ships framed and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

Marc Chagall stands among the most profound and poetic artists of the 20th century. Born into a Hasidic Jewish family in Vitebsk and later a central figure of the Parisian avant garde, he developed a symbolic language rooted in memory, scripture, and mythology. Throughout his life, Chagall returned to the Hebrew Bible as a source of personal and universal meaning. ‘Psaumes de David, 1980’ represents one of the final and most spiritually distilled expressions of that lifelong engagement.

Published in 1980 by Éditions Gérald Cramer in Geneva, the series comprises 32 original etchings with aquatint created to accompany selected passages from the “Book of Psalms.” Produced in collaboration with the master printers Lacourière et Frélaut in Paris, the suite was issued in a limited edition of only 40. Each etching is paired with a French translation of a psalm. Created when Chagall was in his nineties, the series reflects a lifetime marked by exile, war, faith, and perseverance.

The Psalms give voice to lamentation, praise, supplication, and gratitude. Chagall’s interpretations are not literal illustrations but visual meditations. His imagery draws on familiar motifs: figures with uplifted hands, angels and musicians, animals symbolizing innocence, and the walls of Jerusalem suggested through expressive etched lines. The compositions possess both intimacy and grandeur, combining delicate tonal shifts with emotional depth. The aquatint technique allows for rich shadows and luminous passages of light, reinforcing the spiritual intensity of the texts.

Rather than static religious imagery, these works vibrate with humility and transcendence. They function as a visual prayer cycle, translating sacred poetry into symbolic form. In their restraint and clarity, they reflect the wisdom of an artist in his final decade, distilling decades of artistic and spiritual inquiry into essential lines and tones.

Suites from this small edition are increasingly rare to encounter intact, and individual prints also stand powerfully on their own. The themes of fear, hope, trust, and deliverance remain timeless and universally resonant.

“Psaumes de David” stands as a masterwork of late 20th century printmaking and a moving dialogue between artist and scripture. It offers collectors an opportunity to engage with Chagall’s enduring meditation on faith, suffering, and redemption, rendered with grace, dignity, and profound humanity.