Gluttony I (La Gourmandise I) from The Seven Deadly Sins (Les Sept péchés capitaux)

Gluttony I (La Gourmandise I) from The Seven Deadly Sins (Les Sept péchés capitaux) by Marc Chagall is a highly characteristic example of the artist’s graphic work produced during his time in Paris in the mid-1920s. This print is one of a total of sixteen works forming a powerful portfolio dedicated to the classic moral vices. Created in 1925 and published the following year, the piece utilizes the demanding intaglio techniques of etching and drypoint. This combination allows for both the precision of etched line and the expressive, velvety burr achieved through drypoint, emphasizing the rich tonal variation typical of French printmaking of this era.

Chagall developed this series while solidifying his position within the Parisian art world, placing his interpretation of human failings within the long tradition of European allegorical subjects. While the Seven Deadly Sins are conventional themes, Chagall approaches them through his distinctive Surrealist lens, incorporating elements of East European folklore and Jewish visual tradition. The work is not merely a didactic illustration, but rather an exploration of the psychological and sometimes grotesque consequences of excess. Chagall’s handling of the medium highlights the intense emotional drama required to illustrate a theme like gluttony, transforming the sin into a deeply personal, if symbolic, experience.

As a central component of Chagall’s graphic output, this print cemented his reputation as a master of the etching process alongside his established fame as a painter. The complete portfolio, released in 1926, proved influential in the history of modern illustration and book arts. This specific impression of Gluttony I is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, where it serves as a key document of the artist’s commitment to narrative printmaking during this crucial period of the 1920s.