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CHAGALL and Stained Glass

In 1956 Chagall received a commission for his first stained-glass project from Father Marie-Alain Couturier of the Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Grâce church in Plateau d'Assy, France. Joining an artistic program that included the work of Pierre Bonnard, Georges Braque, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse, and Georges Rouault, he produced a new design for the baptistery that featured a ceramic mural, two bas-relief sculptures, and two stained-glass windows. Made with the master glassworker Paul Bony, Chagall's windows work together to represent the rite of baptism through its common symbols—fire and a small dove (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) in Angel with Candelabra, and a jug of water carried by the angel in Angel with Holy Waters.

Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Grâce, Plateau d'Assy, France. Floor plan showing Chagall's windows, located in the baptistery of Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Grâce. Marc Chagall. <em>Angel with Candelabra</em> and <em>Angel with Holy Waters</em>, 1956–57. Stained glass (manufactured by Paul Bony); each: 100 x 60 cm (39 3/8 x 23 5/8 in.). Baptistery, Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Grâce, Plateau d'Assy, France.