Lust II (La Luxure II) from The Seven Deadly Sins (Les Sept péchés capitaux)

Lust II (La Luxure II) from The Seven Deadly Sins (Les Sept péchés capitaux) by Marc Chagall is a powerful example of the artist's graphic work created in 1925 and formally published in 1926. This piece is a single impression drawn from a portfolio consisting of sixteen etching and drypoints. Chagall’s decision to utilize the etching and drypoint combination highlights his skill in graphic reproduction, allowing for deep, textured lines characteristic of the drypoint needle, combined with the precision offered by the etching process. The overall series addresses the timeless moral subjects referenced in the portfolio title, grounding the surreal and personal imagery typical of Chagall within established religious and cultural frameworks.

Although born in Belarus, Chagall was deeply embedded in the Parisian art scene, classifying the work within French artistic culture of the 1920s, a period marked by significant Post-Impressionist and Surrealist experimentation. While not strictly aligned with any singular movement, Chagall’s visual vocabulary in Lust II employs a dreamlike composition, combining human figures, distorted perspectives, and animals often used symbolically. The scene, representing the vice of luxure, or sexual desire, is rendered starkly in black and white, emphasizing the emotional intensity and psychological depth through line and shadow rather than color. The composition typically features intertwined figures or symbolic groupings that communicate the chaotic and consuming nature of the deadly sin.

These highly sought-after prints remain critical to understanding Chagall’s prolific output beyond his famed paintings and stained glass work. Created during a fertile period in his career, this print demonstrates how the artist translated complex human conditions into the unforgiving format of line engraving. This important example of French graphic art from 1925, published 1926, is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where it serves as a key reference point for scholars studying 20th-century figurative modernism.