Marc Chagall as a bookillustrator

Marc Chagall as a boo killustrato r

МMarc Chagall’s works in book graphics are also known. Just now, the Moscow publishing house AST in the series “Collection Book” gave the reader a unique opportunity to look at the brilliant creator Marc Chagall from a different angle. This book is a reedition of “Dead Souls” by Nikolay Vasilyevich Gogol illustrated by the great artist. The book has a cir‑ culation of 2000 copies. Prehistory, a s explained in the annotation, is as follows: “At the beginning of the 20th century, the patron of art and collector Ambroise Vollard had an idea of pub‑ lishing highly artistic books, illustrat‑ ed by painters, not book illustrators. Thi s is how “Livre d’artiste” trend ap‑ peared, which means in French “book o f the artist”.

The result of this approach is Nikolay Gogol’s poem “The Adven‑ tures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls” with 96 etchings by Marc Chagall, which was published in 1948 as a limited edition. Printed on handmade paper with wa‑ termarks in the amount of 368 copies, these books were personally signed by

The creative work of our famous countryman Marc Chagall (1887–1985) is primarily known as the work of a brilliant painter. Although he was engaged in both graphics and scenography. The legendary creator also wrote poems, articles and essays in Yiddish. In 1964, Marc Chagall painted a plafond in the audience hall of one of the buildings of the Paris Opera — Opera Garnier. The artist worked on this project for about a year.

the great painter and were intended for a narrow circle of selected persons. To‑ day, almost 70 years after the publica‑ tion of this unique book, you have the opportunity to personally see the vivid‑ ly depicted commentary. Gogol’s satiri‑ cal story, which is close to the painter, finds its expression in black and white etchings, unexpected for the artist’s typical oil and bright colors: “I think I would have missed something if I hadn’t done engraving and lithogra ‑

Each of the illustrations discreetly makes the reader a philosopher. And sometimes it seems that Gogol and Marc Chagall are contemporaries. And not only in connection with the 19th century. But also contemporaries, in relation to our 21st century…

phing at a certain point in my life, leav‑ ing the color aside”.

This edition changes the sequence of etchings established by Marc Chagall and Eugene Teriad. The layout design of the AST book was made by Anna Yakunina. The leading editor of the project is Margarita Gumskaya. The etchings are signed, which is also in‑ teresting and catches the eye. Certainly, in the illustrations of Marc Chagall the main character is immortal Chichikov. His image is presented multi-facetedly, full of details, which undoubtedly ex‑ pands the reader’s idea of events that seem to be known in every detail, in eve‑ ry feature. The etchings encourage the reader to reread the classic work. Each of the illustrations discreetly makes the reader a philosopher. And sometimes it seems that Gogol and Marc Chagall are contemporaries. And not only in con‑ nection with the 19th century. But also contemporaries, in relation to our 21st century…

Back in 1999, a small study by A. S.Shatskikh “Gogol’s world through the eyes of Mark Chagall” (27 pages in total) was published in Vitebsk. In 2002 — from July 7 to September 7 — an exhibition “Mark Chagall — Illustrator of Books” was held in Vitebsk. There is a collection of graphic works compris‑ ing several hundred graphic sheets at the Marc Chagall Museum in Vitebsk. The main treasure is the original color lithography “Towards a New World”, which the author made shortly before his death in March 1985…

It is worth reminding that the first experience in the technique of engrav‑ ing Marc Chagall acquired in 1922, il‑ lustrating his book “My Life”.

In 1925, a book of poems by Claire and Ivan Gaulle was published with Mark Chagall’s illustrations. In 1927, the artist illustrated Gustav Kokio’s “Provincial Suite”. Art historians claim that Mark Chagall can be recognized in some drawings. The year 1934 re‑ mained in the fate of the artist as the year of making 34 images in ink in a three -volume “Verses and Poems” by Abraham Valta. The book was pub‑ lished in New York. In 1956, color lithographs for the Bible were made by Marc Chagall. They were printed in the magazine “Verve”. The artist also il‑ lustrated A. S utzkever’s book “Siberia”. Abraham Sutzkever (1913–2010) was a Jewish poet, our countryman, born in Smorgon. He wrote in Polish and Yid‑ dish. He published his first poetry col‑ lection in 1927. He survived the Vilna ghetto, where he continued to write po‑ etry. He took part in the underground movement. He saved valuable manu‑ scripts in Vilnius, i. e. letters of Lev Tol‑ stoy, Maxim Gorky and manuscripts of Sholem Aleichem, other valuable archive materials. In September 1943, on the eve of the extermination of the ghetto, Sutzkever, together with the Resistance Detachment, escaped from captivity and reached the Narochanski forests. On March 12, 1944 the poet was taken by military plane to Moscow. On February 27, 1946 Abraham Sutzkever testified as a witness at the Nuremberg Trials. “Siberia” is one of the early po‑ etic works of our compatriot.

In 1975–1976, Marc Chagall makes a series of etchings for his friend Louis Aragon’s book of poems. By Nikolay Berlezh

Illustrations for Nikolay Gogol's book "Dead Souls"

Marc Chagall. The doorman won't let Chichikov see the governor. Etching, 1927.

“The Creation of the World” by Valentin Elizariev is again on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre!

They say about this man t hat he was born under a happy star. Probably, it is right.. But without talent and incred‑ ibly hard work would h e have been able to do so much for himself, and for the Bolshoi Theatre, and for the whole country? People’s Artist of the USSR, People’s Artist of Belarus, choreogra‑ pher Valentin Elizariev again struck fa r from indifferent audience: in De‑ cember, he returned the ballet “The C reation of the World” onto the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. Four years ago, the famous performance disappeared from the theatre guide, but with the return of Valentin Nikolayevich to the BRAVO ,elizariev!

Bolshoi Theatre as artistic director, his legendary performances come back to life again.

“The Creation of the World” is a multi-layered ballet. First of all, we see a biblical theme, the story of Adam and Eve. Behind their history is the eternal struggle of the divine and the devil. But besides the biblical theme, love pul‑ sates on the stage: sometimes reverent, sometimes sacrificial. Another theme is the endless need for choice, where each step sometimes has irreversible conse‑ quences. The breath of close and distant wars is very sharply felt in the images of ballet. Indeed, for almost half a century (43 years) since the premiere on the stage of the Belarusian Ballet, the world has changed, but still the global sense of danger does not leave contemporaries.

Interest in the work of Elizariev has never ceased in the cultural environ‑ ment. Even during a forced downtime, he staged ballets abroad, was a member of the panel of international competi‑ tions and received awards, continued to train young ballet dancers at the Bela‑ rusian State Academy of Music.

Valentin Elizariev was born in Baku, but he dedicated his professional life to Belarus. At the age of 26, he became the chief choreographer of the Belarusian Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. He created the modern Belarusian ballet, staying at the head of the ballet troupe for 30 years. He formed a new type of ballet dramaturgy based on continuityt of the action, on the metaphor and va‑ riety of the plastic movements, on the s ubtle interaction of choreography and

music with scenography. His very first ballet “Carmen Suite” became a breakthrough to associative and philosophical choreography. The bal‑ lets “The Creation of the World”, “Til U hlenshpigel”, “Spartak”, “The Nut‑ cracker”, “Carmina Burana”, “Bolero”, “ Holy Spring”, “Passion (Rogneda)”, “The Firebird” became events in the cultural life of Belarus and brought the national ballet to the European level. In 1996, Valentin Nikolayevich was awarded the title of the Best Cho‑ reographer of the Year and the Benois de l a Danse Prize, founded by the In‑ ternational Dance Association, for the c horeography of the ballet “Passion (Rogneda).” Today he is a member of the panel of international ballet com‑ petitions in Russia, Japan, Ukraine, USA, C hina, Bulgaria, a member of the Council of Europe on Culture, an academician of the International Slav‑ ic Academy and the Petrovsky Acad‑ emy of Sciences and Arts, collaborates w ith leading theatres in Europe, Japan, China, and the Middle East.

Year after year Elizariev turned the Soviet ballet Minsk into a free, creative city. His performances have told and are telling the audience about the things that concern the so‑ ciety. This is the language of modern dance. For example, one of the most powerful images of the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” (1988) was the image of Enmity. Perhaps this is the timeless meaning and anticipation of those acute ethnic conflicts that began to shake the USSR. — Now the ballet is moving by leaps and bounds in mastering new topics and technical skills,— said Val‑ entin Elizariev. — A m odern dancer can do the things a ballet dancer could not even dream of about 20 years ago. There is an explosion of new forms, techniques and ideas in modern world ballet. What is characteristic, all this is not connected with the honored cho‑ reographic groups and state theatres. Today they do not say: “Bolshoi” or “Mariinsky” performers are dancing. They say: the ballet of Yury Grigor‑ ovich, Boris Eifman, Alexander Rat‑ mansky, Radu Poklitaru… The chore‑ ographer defines everything: success, interest, movement in art, prestige of the country he represents.

Valentin Elizariev, of course, is a legend. No matter how many titles he has, he does not stop, but strides confidently towards the achievement of his goals. Now, with the direct par‑ ticipation of Valentin Nikolayevich many surprises are being prepared, which the theatre will soon tell the audience about. By Viktoriya Askero

Belta

◆◆◆ The Days of Belarusian Culture were held in Oman

The opening ceremony was held on March 4 on the stage of the House of Musical Arts of the Royal Opera House in Muscat. Spectators saw the perfor‑ mances from the golden portfolio of the Belarusian State Academic Chore‑ ographic Ensemble “Khoroshki”, based on rich folklore traditions and Belaru‑ sian history. The program of the Days of Culture also included the exhibition project “Patterns and symbols: the her‑ itage of Belarusian ornament” from the collections of the National Historical Museum. The exposition will be on till May 31. ◆◆◆ The premiere of the shot in Belarus film “Persian Lessons” took place at the Berlin International Film Festival

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Scene from the movie "Persian L essons"

The film is an international project of three countries: Russia, Germany and Belarus. The film presents a story of a Belgian Jew Gilles Cremieux who passes himself off as a Persian to save himself from being shot in the concen‑ tration camp. The film was directed by Vadim Perelman, screenwriter is Ilya Zofin. The film is based on the story “Language Invention” by German film‑ maker Wolfgang Kohlhaase. The main shooting took place in Belarus and at the Belarusfilm film set. Two main roles were played by famous actors Lars Eidinger and Nahuel Perez Biscayart, while extra artists were Belarusians.