Pride II (L'Orgueil II) from The Seven Deadly Sins (Les Sept péchés capitaux)

Pride II (L'Orgueil II) from The Seven Deadly Sins (Les Sept péchés capitaux) is a powerful print created by Marc Chagall in 1925, published the following year in 1926. This piece is one of sixteen etching and drypoints comprising the comprehensive portfolio dedicated to the classical theological vices. As a prominent example of graphic work from the period, this print utilizes the combined methods of etching and drypoint, resulting in a remarkable richness of line variation, from delicate fine details to heavy, burred shadows.

The French-era portfolio, created while Chagall was cementing his reputation in Paris, demonstrates his unique synthesis of fantastical, often gravity-defying imagery and deeply rooted narrative themes. Created at a time when the artist was deeply exploring printmaking as a primary medium, Chagall infused the classical subject matter with his characteristic dreamlike surrealism. Pride II specifically visualizes the concept of L'Orgueil (Arrogance or Haughtiness) through distorted figures and symbolic settings common in his graphic works of the mid-1920s.

Chagall’s masterful handling of the medium allows the etching technique to yield intricate, sharp line work, perfectly complementing the unsettling and introspective nature required for a series focused on human moral failings. The depth of the burr in the drypoint sections often gives the figures a sculptural weight and palpable texture, contrasting sharply with the ethereality sometimes present in his painted compositions. These high-quality prints were essential to the dissemination of modernist artistic thought in Europe following World War I.

The complete portfolio, finished in 1925, was influential in establishing Chagall’s mastery across multiple media beyond oil painting. This specific impression of Pride II (L'Orgueil II) is preserved within the esteemed collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), ensuring its continued study and accessibility for reference and scholarship regarding 20th-century French graphic arts.