CHAGALL

Marc Chagall was born in Vitebsk, Russia on July 6, 1887 and passed away in St. Paul-de-Vence, France on March 28, 1985. Chagall is one of the world’s great pioneers of Modernism who com- bined Cubism, Symbolism and Fauvism to inform many different art me- diums including painting, book illustration, stained glass, ceramic, tap- estries and fine art prints. He has been called the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century. When the artist was in his fifties, he found his true artistic voice as a lithographer. Over the next forty years, he went on to create over 1,000 original lithographs by painting directly on the stone, producing a re- nowned original body of work. The young artist studied art in Vitebsk and St. Petersburg. In 1925 he illustrated the Fables of La Fontaine for Vollard. In 1945 he was given a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and Chica- go. In 1964, his stained glass “Peace” window was inaugurated at the United Nations building in New York City. In 1965, he completed murals for the new Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center, New York. In 1977, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion d’Honneur. On the cente- nary of the artist’s birth, a large exhibition opened at Pushkin Museum in Moscow and a Chagall Museum was opened in Vitebsk. Most of Chagall’s inspirations were found in his memories of life in Vitebsk, Russia and its Jewish community. We also see much homage to the Scriptures, love, folklore and Russian folk art and icon painting. His artistic visions are often considered visual poetry, representing the dance of color and shape within the narrative context of story and memory.

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73-660 El Paseo | Palm Desert, CA 92260 | (760) 346-4243 | [email protected] BIOGRAPHY MARC CHAGALL

Marc Chagall was born Moishe Zakharovich Shagal on July 7, 1887 in Vitebsk, Belorussia. After studying art in Vitebsk and St. Petersburg he became frustrated with the traditional inclinations of his training. In 1910 he moved to Paris where he found home in the famous “La Ruche” (Beehive) area in the Vaugirard district. It was here where he met the painters Chaim Soutine, Fernand Leger, and Robert Delaunay as well as the real foundation for his artistic development. Chagall’s exposure to Cubism resulted in his attempts to incorporate the Cubist multiple points of view and geometric shapes into his composi- tions at that time. Two years later, Chagall contributed to the Salon des Independants and Salon d’ Automne as well as to Larionov’s Donkey’s Tail exhibition in Moscow. In 1914 he had his first one-man show at the Galerie “Der Sturm” in Berlin, Germany. In the mid 1920s, he produced illustrations to La Fontaine’s Fables. This marked his first step into the world of Fine Prints. Over the course of the next sixty years and through two marriages, both of which influenced his work, Chagall spent time living in both Russia and France, with a stint in the United States. During this time he continued to create, teach art and take on major-scale projects like the decoration of the ceiling of the Paris Opera (1964), and the murals for the Metropolitan Opera in New York (1965). He also explored the technique of stained glass, designing windows for the Cathedral in Metz (1959-62) and others. In the West, Chagall had countless exhibitions and retrospectives. In Russia, after many years of silence and disregard for the artist, an exhibition of Chagall’s works from private collections was organized in Novgorod in 1968 and five years later Chagall was invited to visit Mos- cow in connection with a small retrospective of his work. Finally, on the centenary of the artist’s birth, a large exhibition opened at Pushkin Mu- seum in Moscow and a Chagall Museum was opened in Vitebsk. It was when the artist was in his fifties, that he found his true artistic voice as a lithographer. Throughout the end of his life, he went on to create over 1,000 original lithographs created by painting directly on the stone, producing a renowned original body of work. There are only 48 diversions within that timeframe; instances when Cha- gall had original gouaches transferred onto stone by his trusted printer Charles Soller. These pieces are marked CS and are highly sought after today as they represent original paintings. Most of Chagall’s inspirations were found in his memories of life in Vitebsk and its Jewish community. We also see homage to the Scrip- tures, folklore and Russian folk art and icon painting. “Rebecca at the Well” shows us an example of a poetic rendition of a simple biblical scene. The piece “Dryas Discovers Chloe” represents the famous Greek tale of two foundling children discovered and raised by shepherds who experience the full cycle of true love. Told in the brilliant blue, aqua and green colors of the artist’s most coveted palette, the piece is one of a series of 42 lithographs depicting this classic story. It is also one of the more rare pieces from this grouping as it has a signed frontispiece as well as large margins. HOHMANN www.hohmannfineart.com The extremely rare and original color lithograph “Quai de Bercy” was first published in the art magazine Derriere le Miroir dedicated to Cha- gall’s vision of Paris. There were 75 signed and numbered impressions plus 2500 unsigned. One of the few remaining pieces from this series unblemished by a centerfold, this piece is in exquisite condition and saturated with lush color. In “The Meal” we see Chagall’s nostalgic fondness for the people in his life like his first wife Bella, his parents and other icons such as a clock and his beloved animals. Harkening back to sweet childhood memo- ries, it is also anointed with his signature rooster that adorns many of the paintings that were most personal to the artist. This is also evident in the piece “Roosters on the Roof.” These two etchings are valuable because Chagall did so few etchings in his life compared to the over a thousand lithographs that he produced. Chagall’s artistic visions are often considered visual poetry, represent- ing the dance of color and shape within the narrative context of story and memory. He populated his pictures with angels, lovers, flying cows, fiddlers, circus performers, and roosters, creating lyrical poems, which proclaimed the beauty of all creation, as well as his unwavering belief in the existence of miracles and in the infinite wisdom of the Creator.

1887 Marc Chagall is born Moishe Zakharovich Shagal on July 7 in Vitebsk (Belarus). 1906 Accepted to the painting school of Jehuda Pen in Vitebsk. 1907 Studies painting at the Imperial Association for the Promotion of the Arts in St. Petersburg until July 1908. 1908 Pupil of Léon Bakst at the Swansewa School in St. Petersburg. 1909 Makes the acquaintance of Bella Rosenfeld. 1910 Moves to Paris in August, studio in the Impasse du Maine. Makes the acquaintance of the painters Fernand Léger, Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Roger de la Fresnaye, Albert G. Gleizes, Jean Metzinger, Louis Marcoussis and André Lhote. 1911 Friendship with the writers Blaise Cendrars, Max Jacob, André Salmon and Guillaume Apollinaire. Moves into the studio house “La Ruche.” 1912 Participation in the Salon des Indépendants and the Salon d’Au- tomne. 1913 Is introduced to Herwarth Walden by Apollinaire. 1914 April: first one-man exhibition at Herwarth Walden’s gallery “Der Sturm” in Berlin. Journey from Berlin to Vitebsk. 1915 Exhibition in Moscow. Marriage to Bella Rosenfeld. 1916 Birth of daughter Ida. Exhibitions in Petrograd and Moscow. 1917 Return to Vitebsk following the October Revolution. 1918 Art commissioner in the government of Vitebsk. 1919 Founding of an art academy in Vitebsk. El Lissitzky, Ivan Puni and Kasimir Malevich are appointed as teachers. 1920 Chagall leaves the academy, due to conflicts with Malevich. Moves to Moscow. 1921 Works as a drawing teacher in war orphans’ colonies near Mos- cow. Begins work on the autobiography My Life. 1922 Chagall leaves the Soviet Union, never to reside there again. Peri- od of residence in Berlin, interrupted by brief journeys to the Black Forest, Thueringen and Bad Blankenburg. In Berlin he learns the technique of engraving from Hermann Struck. HOHMANN www.hohmannfineart.com Commissioned by Paul Cassirer, he engraves 20 illustrations for My Life (published in 1923). 1923 Moves to Paris. Makes the acquaintance of the publisher Am- broise Vollard who commissions him with the engravings for Niko- lai Gogol’s Dead Souls (completed in 1925, published in 1948). 1924 First retrospective in Paris at the Galerie Barbazauges-Hodebert. Turns down the invitation by Max Ernst, Paul Eluard and Gala to join the Surrealists. 1925 Exhibitions at the Kunstverein of Cologne and the Galerie Arnold in Dresden. 1926 Vollard commissions him with the illustrations for La Fontaine’s Fables (gouaches). First exhibition in New York. 1927 Vollard commissions a portfolio: Cirque Vollard. The Gogol engravings are printed. A complete series is given to the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Work on the engravings for La Fontaine’s Fables (completed in 1930). Founding member of the Association des Peintres-graveurs. 1930 Vollard proposes the illustration of the Bible. 1931 Journey to Palestine. My Life is published in French. Work is begun on the gouaches for the Bible illustrations. 1932 Journey to Holland. 1933 Retrospective in the Kunsthalle of Basel. Chagall’s pictures are burned in Mannheim. 1937 Chagall obtains French citizenship. 1941 Invitation to New York by the Museum of Modern Art. Emigration to the U.S. Regular exhibitions at the Gallery Pierre Matisse. 1942 Stage set in Mexico City for the ballet Aleko after the novella by Pushkin. 1944 Bella dies on September 2. 1945 Work is begun on the lithographs for the Arabian Nights (published in 1948 in New York). Stage set for the ballet The Fire- bird at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. 1946 Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago. 1947 Return to Paris. Exhibition at the Musée National d’Art Moderne. 1948 Graphics prize of the Venice Bienniale. Makes the acquaintance of Aimé Maeght, who becomes his art dealer. Tériade proposes the illustration of Daphnis and Chloé. 1949 Wall paintings for the Watergate Theatre in London. 1950 Work is begun on lithographs in the studio of Fernand Mourlot in Paris; beginning of the collaboration with the printer Charles Sorlier. Chagall settles in Vence 1951 Second journey to Israel. First sculptures. 1952 Marriage to Valentina (Vava) Brodsky. Journey to Greece; first de- signs for the Daphnis and Chloé lithographs. 1954 Second journey to Greece. Continuation of work on Daphnis and Chloé. 1956 Many lithographic works. Tériade publishes the etchings for the Bible. 1957 The Daphnis and Chloé illustrations are lithographed at the Mour- lot studio (published by Tériade in 1961). 1959 Honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow and honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Retrospec- tives in Paris, Munich and Hamburg. Wall painting for the foyer of the Schauspielhaus in Frankfurt. 1965 Lithographic illustrations of Exodus (published in 1966). 1965 Wall paintings for the Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln Center in New York. HOHMANN www.hohmannfineart.com Stage set for Mozart’s The Magic Flute in New York. 1966 Moves to Saint-Paul-de-Vence 1967 Retrospectives on the occasion of his 80th birthday in Zurich, Co- logne and the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Tériade publishes the Circus. 1970 Inauguration of the stained-glass window in the choir of the Frau- muenster in Zurich. 1971 Exhibition of the lithographs in Zuerich. 1973 Inauguration of the Musée National Message Biblique Marc Cha- gall in Nice. 1974 Inauguration of the stained-glass window in the Cathedral of Re- ims. First exhibition at the Musée Marc Chagall in Nice. 1975 Work on the lithographs for Shakespeare’s Tempest. Publication of the lithographs for the Odyssey 1982 Retrospectives at the Moderna Museet, Stockholm and the Louisi- ana Museum, Humlebaek (Denmark). 1985 Exhibition at the Royal Academy, London. Chagall dies on March 28 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

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