Le Cochet Gris captures the whimsical poetry that defined Marc Chagall's artistic vision, rendered here through Charles Sorlier's masterful lithographic technique. The composition presents a gray rooster rendered in Chagall's characteristic dreamlike manner, where the bird becomes a vehicle for emotional resonance rather than literal representation. Sorlier, one of the master printers most trusted by Chagall, worked closely with the artist to translate the original composition onto stone, preserving the delicate tonal variations and gestural marks that give the work its ethereal quality. The lithograph demonstrates the collaborative relationship between artist and printmaker, a partnership fundamental to understanding Chagall's prolific output in the medium during this period. This rare early proof from 1950 represents a moment of particular significance in Chagall's engagement with printmaking. The artist's return to Parisian life after World War II rekindled his exploration of traditional printing techniques, and the rooster, a recurring motif throughout his oeuvre, took on renewed symbolic weight as a harbinger of renewal and hope. The sheet's generous dimensions of 35 by 25 inches allow the composition to command genuine presence while the muted gray palette suggests an intimacy at odds with the work's substantial scale. The limited number of proofs from this edition speaks to the experimental nature of the collaboration, making this impression a significant holding for collectors seeking authentic examples of Chagall's pioneering contributions to twentieth-century printmaking.