AI Appraisal Estimate

This item is a vintage exhibition poster featuring the artwork of Marc Chagall, specifically produced for the 'L'Œuvre Monumentale' exhibition held at the Musee National Message Biblique Marc Chagall in Nice, France, from July to September 1974. The poster features a portion of a colorful lithograph at the top with a vibrant palette of yellow, green, and blue, showcasing Chagall's signature dreamlike, surreal style. Below the imagery, 'Marc Chagall' is printed in a large, stylized script. The lower section contains informative text in French, including the exhibition title, dates, and location. Notably, the poster bears what appears to be a hand-signed signature 'Marc Chagall' in black ink on the right side, accompanied by the year '1974'. The piece is professionally framed under glass with a white mat and a thick gold-toned frame featuring decorative beading along the inner edge. The condition appears fair to good from the provided angle, with some slight rippling visible in the paper and minor reflections on the glass. The printed text at the bottom provides specific provenance for the 1970s period. The craftsmanship reflects high-quality commercial lithographic printing of the era, intended for promotional yet collectible use.

I have examined the Marc Chagall exhibition poster for 'L’Œuvre Monumentale' (1974). This piece is a lithographic poster printed by Mourlot, Paris, for the Musee National Message Biblique in Nice. The primary value-driver is the bold, ink signature and date of '1974' located on the right margin. Based on the visual fluidness and ink saturation, the signature appears consistent with Chagall’s known hand from this period. The poster itself demonstrates the vibrant color registration typical of 1970s Mourlot lithography. While the paper shows slight rippling—indicative of humidity fluctuations or lack of archival mounting—it remains in generally good aesthetic condition. Market demand for Chagall remains robust; authenticated signed posters fill a specific 'bridge' niche between high-end original lithographs and unsigned commercial prints. Comparable sales for signed exhibition posters from the mid-1970s typically fall within the $1,500 to $2,500 range at auction. However, value is significantly impacted by the lack of visible provenance for the signature. Without a physical inspection, I cannot verify the ink's age or determine if the signature is a facsimile or hand-signed with certainty. A full authentication would require removing the piece from the frame to check for a watermark in the paper, inspecting the ink under magnification for 'bleeding' into the fibers, and reviewing any original purchase receipts from the 1974 exhibition. This appraisal assumes the signature is authentic and hand-signed.