The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen is dedicating a comprehensive monographic exhibition to the famous Russian-French painter Marc Chagall (1887-1985). Under the title "Marc Chagall - Early Works", the Düsseldorf institution is presenting around 100 paintings and works on paper at the K20, providing insights into all of the artist's creative periods.
The exhibition focuses on the years 1910 to 1923, a period in which Chagall experimented with Fauvism and Cubism and combined these styles with Jewish motifs and Russian folklore. This unique combination made him an early "modernist prodigy". His works are characterized by intense colors and fantastically poetic imagery that still fascinate today.
In addition to the avant-garde influences, the exhibition also sheds light on the dark and socially critical aspects of his art, which remain timelessly relevant. Chagall's work is strongly influenced by his origins in the small Jewish Orthodox town of Vitebsk (now Belarus). Many of his paintings reflect the life and traditions of his childhood, but also the traumatic experiences of persecution and exclusion. In his later works from the 1960s to 1980s, he also processed personal experiences and reacted to global social developments.
