Chagall: Love and Exile by Jackie Wullschlager

Chagall: Love and Exile by Jackie Wullschlager is a sweeping and deeply researched biography of Marc Chagall, one of the most distinctive and celebrated artists of the twentieth century. Wullschlager traces Chagall’s extraordinary journey from his Jewish childhood in Vitebsk in the Russian Empire through the artistic ferment of Paris, revolution in Russia, interwar Europe, exile in America and his eventual return to France.

More than a conventional artist biography, Chagall: Love and Exile explores the intimate relationship between Chagall’s turbulent personal life and the dreamlike imagery that came to define his work. Love, loss, Jewish identity, displacement, memory and exile repeatedly shaped his paintings, with the people and landscapes of his childhood remaining a powerful presence throughout his long career. Wullschlager draws upon interviews and extensive archival material, including correspondence and previously unseen material, to illuminate both Chagall the internationally acclaimed artist and the complex man behind the paintings.

Richly illustrated with paintings, drawings and photographs, this substantial biography provides valuable insight into Chagall’s relationships, artistic development and encounters with many of the major cultural figures and political upheavals of twentieth-century Europe. Chagall: Love and Exile is an excellent addition to any collection devoted to Marc Chagall, modern art, Jewish art and culture, European art history, artist biographies or twentieth-century cultural history.

This is the 2010 Penguin Books paperback edition, following the book’s original 2008 publication.

Condition – Very Good 

Binding remains sound with general light handling and shelf wear. Noticeable scattered foxing/spotting is present along the page edges, particularly the upper edge, with a few small marks visible to the preliminary pages.