Sélifane the Coachman (Le Cocher Sélifane), plate VI (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes

Sélifane the Coachman (Le Cocher Sélifane), plate VI (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes is an essential early graphic work by the renowned Modernist master Marc Chagall, executed in 1923. Classified within the Illustrated Book category, this plate showcases Chagall's early mastery of intaglio printmaking. The composition was rendered using a combination of etching and drypoint, techniques that allowed the artist to achieve both fine, controlled lines and the rich, velvety texture associated with the drypoint burr.

This print was specifically created for the ambitious, albeit initially unpublished, edition of Nikolai Gogol’s satirical epic, Dead Souls (Les Âmes mortes). Commissioned by the influential Parisian art dealer Ambroise Vollard, this project established Chagall firmly within the capital’s artistic community and is characteristic of the significant printmaking undertakings he pursued during the period 1923-48.

The subject focuses on Sélifane, the drunken and melancholic coachman belonging to the novel’s anti-hero, Chichikov. Chagall captures the character’s somber resignation, blending the grim humor of Gogol’s narrative with the artist’s signature use of expressive distortion. The work reflects the artist's distinctly folkloric and lyrical style, while simultaneously cementing his status as a key figure in the French graphic arts scene.

Although the plates were primarily finished in 1923, the full portfolio of prints for Dead Souls was not officially published until 1948, underscoring the complexities inherent in Vollard’s large-scale literary collaborations. As a preeminent example of the Modernist Illustrated Book, Sélifane the Coachman remains a crucial document of the artist's evolving narrative approach in prints. This impression resides within the distinguished collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.