Pokrowskaja in Witebsk from My Life (Mein Leben) is a powerful graphic work created by Marc Chagall in 1922. This piece is one of twenty etchings and fifteen drypoints that comprise the printed component of his celebrated autobiography, Mein Leben (My Life). The creation of these visual memoirs occurred following Chagall’s return to Berlin after his time in Russia, capturing the essence of his early years in his hometown of Vitebsk. As an Illustrated Book classification, the portfolio provides a visual and emotional counterpoint to the artist’s written narrative, establishing key motifs and characters from his past.
The technique employed is etching, enhanced significantly by drypoint, which lends the image its distinctive textural depth and rich line quality. Chagall uses the sharp contrasts inherent in the printmaking process to evoke the nostalgic, sometimes harsh, environment of early 20th century Eastern Europe. The composition is characteristic of the artist’s early style, featuring floating figures and narrative elements rendered through expressive, economical lines. While the subject matter centers on Russian Jewish life, the portfolio was produced while Chagall was engaged with the thriving artistic communities of Western Europe and is cataloged under the French cultural classification, reflecting the global circulation and influence of his career. These striking prints bridge the Expressionist and nascent Surrealist traditions developing across the continent.
Completed in 1922 and officially published in 1923, the entire portfolio holds significant historical value as a foundational example of 20th-century artistic biography. This particular image, Pokrowskaja in Witebsk from My Life (Mein Leben), resides in the comprehensive collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It serves as a prime example of Chagall’s mastery in translating deeply personal memory into the graphic arts, utilizing the specific capabilities of drypoint to achieve works that are both delicate in their execution and profoundly intense in their emotional resonance.
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