Marc Chagall: "The Angel" 1960, Original Lithograph, Angel in Flight

Based on his illustrations of the Bible, Chagall here brings the story of an angel to life. A shining yellow angel on a white horse or donkey is drawn with schematic brush strokes. The angel’s flight is shown concisely in a deeply black, quick and determined style. The sun on the upper right seems to only slowly fight its way through the mysterious atmosphere of the picture. The illuminating yellow of the celestial body seems to reflect in the angel’s wings and thereby introduces a hopeful mood.

With this impressive portrayal, Chagall creates an impression as if the angel would, on the animal’s back, fight against the forces of nature. The artist has succeeded in creating a very powerful picture here in terms of composition and colour. Despite the tender technique of the lithograph, the work can be compared to the look of a dynamic oil painting. 

This is  N O T  a mass-produced reprint (e.g., photo lithograph from a later "Limited edition") but the original lithograph from the a.m. volume, exactly as referenced in Mourlots catalogue raisonné.