NEW YORK, N.Y.- Sotheby’s New York announces that it will present for sale three exceptionally rare oil paintings of synagogue interiors by Marc Chagall (1887-1985). In all, only six finished oils of synagogues by the artist are known to exist. These three paintings come to market for the first time in 66 years from a descendent of the original owner Max Cottin, who acquired them from the 1945 exhibition at the Gallery of Jewish Art in New York. Leading this offering in the forthcoming Israeli & International Art auction on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 is Chagall’s 1931 Interior of the Yemenite HaGoral Synagogue, Jerusalem, illustrated above, which carries an estimate of $400/600,000*. Commenting on the sale of these rare and revealing paintings, Jennifer Roth, Senior Vice President and Head of the Sotheby’s Israeli & International Art Department, said: “Documentary paintings by Chagall are remark