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Bella

Marc Chagall • Drawings and illustrations, 1925, 22.5×11.6 cm
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About the artwork
This artwork was added since it is referred to in the materials below
Subject and objects: Portrait
Style of art: Expressionism
Technique: Writing ink
Materials: Paper
Date of creation: 1925
Size: 22.5×11.6 cm
Artwork in selections: 14 selections
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Description of the artwork «Bella»

After his move to Paris at the invitation of Ambroise Vollard, the artist quickly improved his financial affairs. He was offered exciting projects that aroused enthusiastic excitement in him. Actually, Chagall's collaboration with the famous Parisian Marchand began when Vollard invited him to create etchings for the book of the Countess de Segur "General Fool" (1863). Chagall liked the project, but not the theme. He suggested to Vollard to change "General" to "Dead Souls" by Nikolai Gogol, and was probably so convincing that the Marchand agreed.

Chagall worked on Dead Souls from 1923 to 1925, creating 107 original boards. He used several engraving techniques: dry needle, aquatint, etching, combining them to obtain the desired result. The etchings were printed in 1927, but the book was not published until 1948. Its circulation was only 368 copies; Chagall numbered and signed each of them. In the same year, Chagall received the Grand Prix at the Venice Biennale for illustrations for Dead Souls.

Marc Chagall received his first skills in engraving technique in Berlin in 1922. The famous graphic artist and teacher Herman Stuck became his teacher. Chagall's first independent graphic work in book illustration was the drawings for his book of memoirs "My Life", published in 1923. The artist was offered to decorate the book with original works by his publisher, Paul Cassirer. Chagall created 40 engraved boards, but only 20 etchings were included in "My Life".

Vollard paid Chagall all orders, and on time, which significantly improved the financial affairs of the family. In 1924, the artist with Bella and Ida moved to a new studio on the Avenue d'Orléans. It was spacious and comfortable here, here he felt at home, it was easy and fun to work. Bella's collars became "laced", but this did not prevent the artist from creating an etching based on one of his favorite paintings "Bella in a white collar", written back in 1917, with which he never parted.

When Chagall was working on this painting, their family already had a daughter, Ida. The significance of the role of the Mother, her divine right to rule the world - this is the main theme of the work. Bella's figure rises above the raging ocean of greenery, and her image resembles the traditional plot of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. At the bottom, Chagall painted small figures - himself and baby Ida.

Etching "Bella", created by Chagall in 1924 based on this pictorial work, was performed using the etching technique; the image is turned in the opposite direction relative to the vertical. The artist made 100 copies of this board, each one signed and numbered. Today, these unique etchings are sometimes found at auctions, and you can try to purchase for yourself a "real Chagall" for an acceptable amount of 8-10 thousand dollars.
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