marc chagall |
Born in 1887 his Jewish origins and
rural upbringing in Russia had a lasting
effect on Chagall’s life. His poetic
mastery of dreams, memories and folklore
dominated his work and commitment to
original print - making throughout his
life.
Chagall was 63 years old when he
first came to Mourlot in 1950 to
study in earnest the technique of
colour lithography with Charles
Sorlier. Already a famous artist
with nothing to prove, Chagall
nevertheless worked tirelessly to
master the nuances and subtleties of
this demanding medium for his own
satisfaction. Marc Chagall
fabricated a mystical world of
lovers, musicians and artists in his
work. He chose lithography as a
print medium that could offer him
almost unlimited painterly freedom
to explore his world
"Something would have been lacking
in my life if, in addition to my
passion for colour, I had not been
involved with engraving or
lithography...Each time I held a
lithographic stone or copperplate in
my hand I thought I was touching a
talisman. It seemed to me that I
could put all my joys and sorrows in
it.....Everything that touched my
life through the years, births,
deaths, weddings, flowers, animals,
birds, the poor workers, my parents,
lovers in the night, the biblical
prophets, on the street, at home, in
the temple and in heaven. And as I
grew older, the tragedy of life
within us and around us. "Marc
Chagall. |
