Chagall (Big Art) [Hardcover]

Jacob Baal-Teshuva (Author)

Book Description

Series: Big Art | Publication Date: October 1, 2001

Marc Chagall, who died in 1985 at the age of 97, is regarded as one of the greatest artist in modern art. He used his great talent to create a unique world full of magic, poetry, enchantment and fantasy. His use of intense, glowing colours conjured up memories of his childhood and youth in Vitebsk, in today's Belarus. Rich in mythological and symbolic references, his paintings were influenced by Byzantine and Russian icons and folk art and often depicts couples floating blissfully through the air, seeming to defy the laws of gravity. The poetry and biblical inspiration of his paintings have always appealed to a broad public and his works are popular amongst collectors all over the world. Chagall continued, in his paintings, to invoke his birthplace of Vitebsk, with its strong Jewish traditions, customs and everyday life, even long after he moved to Paris permanently in 1923. Picasso once said: "Since the death of Matisse, Chagall has been the only artist to really understand the true nature of colour. His oil paintings are really painted, not just put together...no artist since Renoir has had such a feeling for light as Chagall." Chagall's best paintings, gouaches, water-colours, graphic works, sculptures, pottery, mosaics and tapestries, together with his works for the theatre, opera and ballet, are reproduced in full colour in this book. Written by a friend of Chagall, it presents several unpublished works for the first time.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Find out what role Marc Chagall played in the history of 20th-century art. This fine volume captures the distinctive creativity of a painter whose images were heavily influenced by literature, religious symbols, and folk tales from his native Russia. You'll enjoy more than 60 reproductions of one of the most original and imaginative geniuses of 20th-century art. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

A time traveler who left an ancient way of life in a remote Russian village for the sophisticated world of 20th-century Paris and its inner circle of literary and artistic innovators, Marc Chagall (1887-1985) superseded nature through metaphor. He reinvented his past and his dreams over and over as a chronicler of the Jewish experience. Baal-Teshuva, whose previous works include a monograph on Warhol (Andy Warhol 1928-1987, LJ 4/1/93), affectionately conveys the details of the artist's life, his roots in Vitebsk, his lovers, and his many works?in paint, poetry, lithography, ceramics, tapestry, mosaics, sculpture, and stained glass?with the intimacy and naturalness of a friend of 35 years. Written in clear, accessible prose and lavishly illustrated with reproductions that demonstrate the brilliant colors of the artist's palate, this book is an excellent choice as an introductory text for students. Recommended for school and public libraries where there is an interest in this extremely popular 20th-century artist as well as for Judaica and comprehensive special collections.?Ellen Bates, MLS, New York
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Taschen; 1st U.S. edition, edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 382285994X
• ISBN-13: 978-3822859940
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,586,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book!, December 9, 1999

By 

Peter (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chagall (Single Jumbo) (Hardcover)

This is an extraordinary book for every Chagall fan. The quality of illustrations is just wonderful, and if you had only one book to buy on Chagall, this is the one! Don't worry, its not heavy at all; in fact, I would have added more and more pages of never-been-seen work of this incredible artist. The illustrations are colorful, vivid and beautiful, and the biography is very well written and complete. Strongly recommended!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short, but still very sweet, March 31, 2005

By 

Debbie the Book Devourer "dletour7" (Waltham, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chagall (Great Modern Master Series) (Hardcover)

This book collects some of Chagall's works, mostly paintings, but also mosaics, stained glass windows, and the ceiling of the Paris opera (stunning), into sections describing different parts of his life and career.

The text was intersting and illuminating in very few words, which was good, because that left more room for full-color plates of Chagall's brilliant works! I could just stare at each one for many minutes and get more out of it with each minute! The man was a genius. And the plates are pretty high-quality, so it's easy to really enjoy them.

The only reason I did not give this book five stars was I thought it was a little short, considering the scope of Chagall's work. It would be difficult, indeed, to produce a book that would be completely comprehensive, and maybe the author had a page limitation because of the series he was writing for, but I sure would have liked to see more works presented.

I have some other books on Chagall in the queue: one on watercolors and gouaches, and two books of lithographs. I'll report back on those once I've read and gazed at them.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful gift for fans of Chagall., October 28, 2007

By 

K. Pollock (Findlay, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chagall (Portfolio (Taschen)) (Paperback)

After viewing the book I ordered for my husband, he and I loved it so much, I ordered another for my sister-in-law who also absolutely loved the pictures and stories about one of our favorite artists. It makes a great gift for any Chagall fan.