This self-portrait by Chagall is drawn on the title page of an issue of Verve magazine, a leading artistic and literary review published in English and French between 1937 and 1960. Verve was edited by the Greek-born writer, critic and publisher Tériade (1897-1983), who was responsible for publishing much of Chagall's graphic work after the death of Ambroise Vollard in 1939. This particular issue of Verve appeared in April 1950, and was devoted to a series of wash drawings by Chagall, each inspired by and paired with an illumination from a 15th century manuscript of Boccaccio's Decameron (1). Chagall was to contribute illustrations for several other issues of the magazine in later years.

The drawing is dedicated to two of the artist’s closest friends, the Yiddish writer Joseph Opatoshu (or Opatashu), and his wife Adele. Chagall met the couple soon after his arrival in New York in 1941, and they remained close friends after he returned to France in August 1948. Chagall also provided a drawing to illustrate the frontispiece of Opatoshu's book The Last Revolt, published in New York in 1948.

Chagall often drew self-portraits on the title pages of books or magazines, which were then presented to particular friends. He almost invariably, however, portrayed himself as a young man in his self-portraits, and this is true of the present sheet.