Product Description

No doubt one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, Marc Chagall (1887-1985) created a unique world full of pathos, poetry, humor, and enchantment, drawing on vivid memories of his Jewish upbringing in Russia. His original style and his connection to the past endured throughout his seven-decade career, despite the great movements and schools of 20th century art which he saw developing around him. All aspects of Chagall's work are covered here, from paintings to stained glass, tapestries, ceramics, and more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52462 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 279 pages

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.

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world of 20th-century Paris and its inner circle of literary and artistic innovators, Marc Chagall (1887-1985) superseded nature through metaphor.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.

Review
"Jacob Baal-Teshuva's expertise in Marc Chagall's life and work makes this informative, well-illustrated, and exciting monograph a beautiful book which I warmly recommend." - Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate for Peace, 1986"

Customer Reviews

Great value from Taschen as per usual
This book on Chagall is a steal for the price. The illustrations are lush and the text is very readable.

I knocked off a star because I would rather the book was more comprehensive, even if it meant paying more. Still highly recommended though.

A wonderful gift for fans of Chagall.
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.

Short, but still very sweet
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.