Apparition of Police (Apparition des policiers), plate XXV (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes

Apparition of Police (Apparition des policiers), plate XXV (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes is a significant print created by Marc Chagall in 1923. Classified as an Illustrated Book component, this work utilizes the demanding technique of etching complemented by roulette, which allows the artist to achieve subtle tonal variations and textural richness within the dark plate. This specific image serves as part of the supplementary suite accompanying Chagall's illustrations for Nikolai Gogol’s classic 19th-century novel, Dead Souls.

Chagall undertook the illustration project for Les Âmes mortes following a key commission from the esteemed art dealer Ambroise Vollard. Although the initial set of illustrations was completed in 1923, the full publication and distribution of the series extended over a long period, falling within the 1923-48 classification associated with the production of this major illustrated series. Working within the highly influential French cultural sphere after his resettlement in Paris, Chagall sought to visualize the surreal and often grotesque elements of Gogol's satirical masterpiece. His skilled use of etching emphasizes deep contrast, capturing the dreamlike, floating quality characteristic of his unique style, which is particularly evident in the unsettling visualization of the Apparition of Police.

The subject matter, depicting a looming, spectral presence of police figures, highlights Chagall’s capacity to imbue mundane authority with an unsettling, otherworldly quality. The supplemental nature of this print suggests additional thematic explorations outside the main narrative sequence for which the artist is widely celebrated. As an important example of Modern prints, this work demonstrates the crucial collaboration between a leading 20th-century artist and a foundational text of Russian literature. This etching, vital for understanding Chagall’s engagement with literary illustration during his productive French career, is maintained in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.