The Painters (Les Peintres), plate XXIII (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes

The Painters (Les Peintres), plate XXIII (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes is a significant graphic work created by Marc Chagall in 1923. Executed using the challenging intaglio techniques of etching and drypoint, this piece serves as one plate within a supplementary suite illustrating Nikolai Gogol’s 1842 satirical novel, Dead Souls. Though Gogol’s narrative is deeply rooted in Russian literature, the production of these 107 plates took place in Berlin and Paris between 1923 and 1927, firmly placing the resulting Illustrated Book within the output of the early modern French cultural period.

Chagall began the formidable task of illustrating Gogol’s work at the request of the esteemed art dealer and publisher Ambroise Vollard. Vollard recognized the affinity between Gogol’s darkly humorous, often surreal storytelling and the artist's own pictorial style, characterized by floating figures, disrupted perspectives, and deep personal symbolism. The chosen medium, etching and drypoint, allowed Chagall to utilize stark contrast and dense, expressive line work, departing from the vibrant color associated with his painting. The intensity of line achieved through the drypoint technique lends a textural quality to the composition, suitable for the somber and sometimes macabre themes found in the literary source material. This period, roughly spanning 1923-48, was crucial for Chagall as he developed his mature style across both painting and graphic arts.

While the primary narrative of the book relates to Gogol's protagonist Chichikov, the specific theme of The Painters suggests Chagall may have incorporated self-referential commentary on the creative process, often found in his graphic works. This piece highlights the artist’s commitment to major literary projects during his time in France. As a foundational example of 20th-century printmaking, this work resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York. Although the original edition is rare, numerous fine art prints and reproductions derived from the original plates are accessible today, often entering the public domain as copyrights expire, allowing wider study of Chagall's profound contribution to the illustrated book genre.