The Village of Pliouchkine (Le Village de Pliouchkine), plate XXXVIII (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes

The Village of Pliouchkine (Le Village de Pliouchkine), plate XXXVIII (supplementary suite) from Les Âmes mortes by Marc Chagall, is a significant example of early 20th-century graphic work. Created in 1923, this piece is rendered using the precise mediums of etching and drypoint. It belongs to the classification of an Illustrated Book, forming part of the supplementary suite commissioned to accompany Nikolai Gogol's satirical 1842 masterpiece, Dead Souls (Les Âmes mortes).

Chagall was commissioned to create 96 etchings for the planned deluxe edition of the book, though the eventual publication was delayed until 1948. This specific work, illustrating the miserable landowner Pliouchkine and his dilapidated surroundings, showcases Chagall’s distinct approach to printmaking. The utilization of drypoint alongside the etching technique allowed the artist to achieve expressive, velvety black lines contrasted with the sharp, delicate detailing typical of the etching needle. While illustrating a deeply Russian narrative, the creation of these works reflects the vibrant atmosphere of French artistic culture in the 1920s, a period famed for the production of sophisticated livres d'artiste. Chagall used this monochromatic process to translate his characteristic imagery-based on memory, fantasy, and psychology-into a haunting visual narrative that complements Gogol's text.

The creation of these plates spans the period 1923-48, marking a critical phase in the artist’s career as he successfully balanced narrative illustration with his evolving modernist style. Chagall's commitment to visualizing Gogol's complex novel resulted in some of his most admired graphic works, which are widely recognized in the history of the Illustrated Book genre. The overall suite demonstrates a powerful synergy between literature and the visual arts. This impression of The Village of Pliouchkine is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where it serves as an important reference for the study of 20th-century French printmaking and illustration techniques.