La Lecon de Philetas, Les Amoureux Devant l'Arbre (after) Marc Chagall, 1987

This 1987 exhibition poster created for an exhibition of works by Marc Chagall which travelled Japan (Tokyo, Yamagata, Nagoya and Gunma) was printed in Paris by the Atelier Mourlot who printed most of Chagall’s lithographs.

This image was chosen because Marc Chagall had illustrated one of the greatest love stories of all time: the Greek legend of Daphnis and Chloé. The artist's poetic and emotional vision truly captures the empathy and romance of this story like no other artist could have. The initial project took close to six years to finish and included 42 original lithographs. Chagall was enchanted with the story, and made several trips to Greece, accompanied by his wife, to work on preparatory sketches on Lesbos, the native island of the publisher Tériade.

This poster was reproduced just after Chagall's death by Master printer Charles Sorlier, who was his closest collaborator at Mourlot, but who had also become his most trusted friend.