The Tavern (La Maison du traktir), plate XX (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes

The Tavern (La Maison du traktir), plate XX (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes is a powerful graphic work created by Marc Chagall in 1923. Classified as an Illustrated Book component, this highly detailed print utilizes a sophisticated combination of etching, aquatint, and drypoint. This meticulous process allowed Chagall to achieve textural depth and subtle gradations of tone through the acid bite of the aquatint, while the sharp, decisive lines of the drypoint and etching define the figures and architectural elements of the confined interior space. The image serves as an illustration for Nikolai Gogol’s seminal 1842 novel, Dead Souls.

Chagall began intense work on the Gogol project early in the 1923-48 period, following his permanent relocation to Paris. Although the source material is deeply rooted in Russian culture, Chagall’s illustrative style is firmly situated within the modernist aesthetic emerging in French printmaking during the 1920s. The composition transforms a simple domestic setting, likely a small inn or traktir, into a psychologically charged space. Consistent with the artist's unique vision, the scene avoids strict realism, instead conveying a feeling of narrative intensity through the dramatic interaction of light and shadow, characteristic of the graphic style Chagall refined during this decade.

This particular piece, known formally as The Tavern, showcases Chagall’s dedication to mastering the technical challenges of reproductive media. His highly individualized graphic interpretations, especially those commissioned by the influential publisher Ambroise Vollard, are considered foundational works in the Illustrated Book genre. The work is preserved in the prestigious collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), recognizing its enduring significance as a definitive print from the modernist era.