Pliouchkine Searching for His Papers (Pliouchkine à la recherche de ses papiers), plate XLV (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes

Pliouchkine Searching for His Papers (Pliouchkine à la recherche de ses papiers), plate XLV (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes, is a seminal etching created by Marc Chagall in 1923. This work belongs to a significant series of illustrations for Nikolai Gogol’s classic Russian novel, Dead Souls. Classified as an illustrated book print, the piece was produced during Chagall's extensive 1923-48 period of graphic exploration while working primarily in France. This particular image captures a pivotal scene involving the character Pliouchkine, the destitute and paranoid estate owner known for his obsessive hoarding and profound miserliness.

Chagall employs the precise, linear quality of the etching medium to render Pliouchkine’s frantic search. The composition depicts the figure bent double in a sparsely furnished interior, his movements conveying desperation and perhaps madness. Characteristic of Chagall’s unique approach to illustration, the imagery avoids strict realism, instead emphasizing the psychological state of the character through slightly distorted proportions and surreal staging. Unlike the colorful, dreamlike canvases for which he is most known, this graphic work demonstrates Chagall’s mastery of black and white, utilizing shadow and tight line work to define atmosphere and character.

The creation of the Les Âmes mortes series marked an important engagement with literary subject matter for the artist during his early career in the French cultural sphere. Although executed in 1923, the editioning and circulation of these authoritative prints continued throughout the 1923-48 period, influencing subsequent generations of book illustration. This work, illustrating the satirical yet deeply human elements of Gogol’s novel, is recognized as one of the most powerful contributions to modern graphic art. Pliouchkine Searching for His Papers is held in the prestigious collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), affirming its status as a critical example of Chagall’s achievements in the illustrated book format.