Tchitchikov's Dreams (Les rêves de Tchitchikov), plate XXX (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes

Tchitchikov's Dreams (Les rêves de Tchitchikov), plate XXX (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes, is an etching created by Marc Chagall in 1923. This sophisticated print is part of a larger series of illustrations commissioned for a deluxe edition of Nikolai Gogol’s satirical novel, Dead Souls. While the source material is deeply rooted in Russian literature, the production and classification of this work as an Illustrated Book firmly position it within the flourishing Parisian printmaking culture of the 1920s, cementing Chagall’s involvement with the French art scene.

Chagall employed the challenging intaglio process of etching to translate the novel's dark humor and psychological anxiety into visual form. The resulting image, one of the supplementary Tchitchikov's Dreams plates, focuses on the inner torment or subconscious fears of the protagonist, Pavel Ivanovich Tchitchikov. Characteristic of Chagall’s graphic output during the 1923-48 period, the composition exhibits a dramatic use of compressed space and distorted, dreamlike figures, relying heavily on delicate yet intense line work to convey psychological drama. This particular plate reveals the artist’s mastery in blending the narrative requirements of book illustration with his established Expressionist and early Surrealist tendencies.

The ambitious illustration project, which ultimately involved producing over 100 prints for the novel, was pivotal in establishing Chagall's international reputation following his move to France. The quality and volume of these etchings underscore the importance of the livre d'artiste tradition in French modernism. This significant example of the artist's illustrative oeuvre is maintained in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), ensuring its availability for scholarship regarding modern graphic arts and the development of the illustrated book form.