Drawings, ceramics and sculptures 1945-1970.
The current exhibition brings together a collection of works integrated in 2022, generously offered by Bella and Meret Meyer. In total, one hundred and twenty-seven drawings, five ceramic pieces and seven sculptures signed by Marc Chagall (1887-1985) are presented, organized around three distinct themes: preliminary designs for costumes and curtains scene from the ballet "The Firebird" by Igor Stravinsky, the sketches and models for the decoration of the ceiling of the Opera, a project commissioned from him in 1962, as well as a series of ceramics, collages and sculptures created between the 1950s and the beginning of the 1970s.
Date: From October 4, 2023 to February 26, 2024
Location At the Center Pompidou
Desires: Painting, Drawing, ceramics, sculpture.
EXHIBITION FINISHED
These pieces, representative of the artistic production of Marc Chagall after the Second World War, reveal his commitment to multiple commissioned projects and the diversified evolution of his artistic practice. By exploring this exhibition, visitors have the opportunity to enter the intimacy of Chagall's studio, thus discovering the process of complete development of an artistic project.
These precious donations are concentrated around three major thematic axes: the preliminary sketches of the costumes and stage curtains for the ballet "The Firebird"; by Igor Stravinsky, taken over by the Ballet Theater of New York in 1945, the sketches and models for the decoration of the ceiling of the Opera, a commission by the artist dating from 1962, and finally, a captivating set of ceramics, collages and sculptures made between the 1950s and early 1970s.
Music plays a fundamental role in Chagall's work: it is closely linked to his artistic vocation, as evidenced by his autobiographical story "My life". Music is both a source of inspiration and a recurring subject, but above all a new way of conceiving the image. Let him declare "I myself become a sound" or states "We must make drawing sing through color", Chagall always established an intimate connection between music and the visual arts, maintaining a continuous dialogue with the choreographers of his time throughout his life.
By designing the sets and costumes for "The Firebird", Marc Chagall experimented with large-format painting and mixtures of materials. From the first sketches, he integrated the movement of the dancers into the design of the costumes. When developing the ceiling of the Opera, he also sought a fusion with the architecture of the Palais Garnier, imagining the composition in terms of colorful rhythms. Deeply autobiographical, the resulting iconography pays homage to the great musicians who influenced him and to the city of Paris which offered him refuge. This commissioned work seems to stimulate a renewed interest in textures in the artist, experimenting with sculpture, ceramics and late collages incorporating fabrics, lace and various papers.
These mature works, representative of Marc Chagall's activity after the Second World War, demonstrate his commitment to multiple commissioned projects and the diversification of his artistic practice. Finally, they offer privileged access to the intimacy of one's workshop by revealing the complete evolution of a project, from the first draft quickly sketched on the sheet of paper to the elaborate drawing, a work in its own right and final stage of preparation. for an upcoming painting.
Date: From October 4, 2023 to February 26, 2024
Location: At the Center Pompidou
Desires: Painting, Drawing, ceramics, sculpture.
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