Signed or unsigned
A pencil signature and edition number are what separate a collector's print from a book plate. The same image can exist as both, and the signed impression sells for many times more.
Lovenhall Art · Print value
How Much Is a Chagall Print Worth?
Mostly lithographs: most sell for £1,000–5,000 at auction, the sought-after suites far more, unsigned book plates far less.
About 87% of auction lots are printsMost £1,000–5,000 at auctionCatalogued by Cramer and Mourlot
The short answer
Most Chagall prints that come to auction sell for about £1,000–5,000 — prints make up around 87% of his auction lots. Hand-signed, numbered colour lithographs from well-known suites sit at the top of that range or above it, and the most sought-after suites such as Cirque reach tens of thousands. Unsigned lithographs issued in books and in Derrière le Miroir sell for a small fraction of a signed impression.
Figures reviewed September 2026
Chagall worked with the Mourlot studio in Paris for decades, and lithographs are the bulk of what reaches the market. That is good news for owners — there is a deep, visible auction record — and it means a Chagall print is priced almost entirely on which kind of print it is.
The largest distinction is between signed, numbered impressions pulled for the art market and the unsigned lithographs issued in books, portfolios and the Maeght gallery's Derrière le Miroir magazine. Both can be original lithographs; the signed impression is worth many times more. Sheets described as after Chagall — many drawn onto the stone by the printer Charles Sorlier — are a further step down, and photomechanical reproductions carry decorative value only.
Chagall is one of the few artists with a functioning committee: the Comité Marc Chagall in Paris issues opinions on works submitted to it. For prints, the Cramer catalogue and the Mourlot catalogues are the practical reference.
The marketMarc Chagall on the secondary market
What Marc Chagall fetches, line by line
| Category | Typical auction range | What moves it most |
|---|---|---|
| Signed, numbered colour lithographs and etchings | Typically £1,000–5,000; major images more | Image, edition, colour, condition |
| Sought-after suites (Cirque, Daphnis et Chloé) | Well above the typical range; complete sets far more | Completeness, condition |
| Unsigned lithographs from books and Derrière le Miroir | A small fraction of a signed impression | Image, double-page sheet, condition |
| Lithographs after Chagall, often by Charles Sorlier | Below Chagall's own lithographs | Signature, edition |
| Posters and photomechanical reproductions | Decorative value | Framing |
Artprice data via Mark Littler: prints are about 87% of Chagall's auction lots, most selling for £1,000–5,000. Reviewed September 2026.
What moves the price
Why two Marc Chagall prints fetch different figures
The things a buyer prices in, in roughly the order they look for them.
By Chagall, or after him
An impression Chagall drew on the stone himself sits above one described as after Chagall, where a printer transferred his design. The catalogue entry says which is which.
The suite
Cirque, Daphnis et Chloé and the Bible are the suites collectors look for. A plate from one of them sells above a comparable single print, and a complete set above the sum of its sheets.
Colour and condition
Chagall's colour lithographs are priced on how fresh their colour is. Light fading, toned paper, foxing and trimmed margins take a large share off.
Selling
Where to sell a Chagall print, and what you keep
Signed Chagall lithographs sell steadily through the prints and multiples departments of international and mid-tier auction houses, where the results are public and the buyers international. Unsigned book plates are usually better placed with a print dealer or an online auction, where fees are proportionate to the price.
Before consigning, find the catalogue number and measure the sheet; the house will ask for both, and a print that can be matched to its entry sells with less discount for doubt.
Questions we are asked
- How much is a Chagall lithograph worth?
- Most Chagall prints at auction sell for about £1,000–5,000. Signed, numbered colour lithographs from known suites sit at the top of that range or above it, and unsigned book lithographs well below it.
- Is an unsigned Chagall lithograph worth anything?
- Yes, if it is an original lithograph issued in a book or in Derrière le Miroir — but a small fraction of a signed impression of a comparable image. A photomechanical reproduction of the same image is worth decorative value only.
- What does after Chagall mean on a print?
- That the image is Chagall's design but the lithograph was made by someone else, most often the Mourlot printer Charles Sorlier. These sell below prints Chagall made himself, and a signature on them should be checked against the catalogue.
- Who authenticates Chagall works?
- The Comité Marc Chagall in Paris issues opinions on works submitted to it. For prints, matching the sheet to the Cramer or Mourlot catalogue is the usual first step.
Where the figures come from · reviewed September 2026
Indicative ranges for honest condition, never an appraisal or a quotation. The house buys, sells and values nothing; a specialist who can see the piece is the only one who can price it.
Is it genuine?
What the other artists fetch
Lovenhall ArtRead the print itself
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