Woodcut printed on Japanese paper; collector’s stamp “Lugt 913b” visible on the verso; inscribed “Epreuve d’artist [sic]” lower left; signed lower right; 27.7 x 20.2 cm (32.8 x 25.2 cm).

Private collection, Switzerland (formerly Eberhard W. Kornfeld Collection, Bern).

During his stay in Berlin in 1922–1923, Chagall produced woodcuts in addition to etchings. This is the first print created using this technique that Kornfeld lists in his catalogue raisonné. “Le Juif priant” is presented here in its initial preparatory stage. The right corner is black, whereas in the later version intended for the edition, it remained unprinted. This early version of the print is extremely rare; only four copies are known to exist.