The Jerusalem Windows. Text And Notes By Jean Leymarie. Translated From The French By Elaine Desautels. Chagall, Marc.

First edition in English, first printing, of this superb presentation of Chagall's magnificent stained-glass windows, 12 designs depicting the ancient tribes of Israel, which met with worldwide praise and were soon recognized as among the finest specimens of modern religious art. The volume includes, bound in as issued, two original Chagall lithographs. The windows were first exhibited in Paris in June 1961 and later at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, before installation in February 1962 in their permanent home of the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Centre in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Windows, published the same year as the French edition, Vitraux pour Jerusalem, remains the definitive work on the windows and is renowned for the richness of its illustrations. Chagall produced the two original lithographs especially for this book and directed the printing of a further 36 lithographs of preparatory colour designs. Tall quarto. Original red cloth, spine and front cover lettered in gilt, pictorial endpapers. With dust jacket. Illustrated throughout with 2 original lithographs and 36 colour preparatory lithographic designs, some of which are in 20 colours, all printed by Mourlot Fréres, with further black and white photographs and illustrations. Unclipped dust jacket nicked along top edge, edges of book lightly faded otherwise a bright copy.