Untitled from My Life

Untitled from My Life is a title page created by Marc Chagall in 1922, forming part of a significant autobiographical print portfolio originally consisting of twenty etchings, fifteen of which incorporated the textured lines of drypoint. This particular print holds a unique historical complexity due to its execution and publication dates: initially created in 1922 and formally published in 1923, it already represented Chagall's profound engagement with the French printmaking traditions he had fully embraced.

The medium classification emphasizes Chagall’s mastery of graphic arts. Etching allowed the artist to achieve delicate, detailed lines suitable for the intimate, narrative nature of the project, while the additional use of drypoint enhanced tonal depth and textural variation. Crucially, this title page features hand additions executed by the artist much later, in 1946. These later reworkings suggest that Chagall revisited his seminal autobiographical statements decades after their initial conception, illustrating his continuing artistic dialogue with memory and personal history.

The overall portfolio, originally titled Ma Vie (My Life), provided a potent visual corollary to the written memoirs of the time, solidifying Chagall’s reputation as a key figure bridging Russian folklore and European Modernism. This specific title page is indicative of the artist’s commitment to prints as a primary artistic vehicle, often successfully combining abstract text and evocative imagery. The complex dating of 1922, published 1923 (hand additions executed 1946), is central to understanding the work’s context within the French cultural artistic landscape across two pivotal eras. As a significant print in the artist's oeuvre, it remains a crucial reference point for scholars studying his graphic techniques. While the hand additions of this specific print complicate its status, the historical importance of the entire My Life portfolio ensures that many of Chagall’s earlier, similar prints are widely studied and accessible. This important work is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.