Marc Chagall – 22 Originals

After thorough preparations, we are pleased to present a comprehensive solo exhibition of the internationally renowned artist Marc Chagall (1887–1985) from May 27 to July 12, 2024. The works on display range from preparatory work for important paintings and self-portraits to what is probably the artist’s most picturesque motif, the eternal lovers and newlyweds.

With bright colours, painterly poetry, and countless autobiographical motifs, no other artist in the 20th century succeeded in developing such an independent and impressive artistic language. Apart from any artistic movement, Chagall manifested himself early in the international art world and was honoured worldwide with major solo exhibitions and retrospectives throughout his life.

The Russian-French artist was exposed to many tragedies in the course of his life. The antisemitic persecution of Jews, caused by the takeover of power by the National Socialists, had a particularly strong impact on him. Jewish himself and living in France at the time, he was finally able to immigrate to New York with his wife in 1941, but even in exile, Chagall suffered from the destruction of some of his paintings that had been defamed as “degenerate” and suffered the complete destruction of his home village of Vitebsk. The sudden death of his beloved wife Bella in 1944 likewise left a clear mark on the artist’s work.

The 22 unique works on display in the gallery were created during the second half of the artist’s life when his language of colour and form intensified and condensed. As he grew older, the artist began to take up and reflect on his Jewish-Russian ancestry, the loss of Bella, and biblical-allegorical themes. Chagall skilfully combines a rich palette of images from his personal memories with elements from Russian folklore and religious motifs.