Poland’s difficult history and severe wartime losses are why Polish museums can only boast a few works of the most remarkable artists of the 20th century, which enjoy steady interest from international visitors.
One of them is certainly Marc Chagall, whose art has become recognisable because it has made it into the realm of popular culture on an unprecedented scale thanks to reproductions copied and presented on various media and in various contexts. Only a modest selection of the artist’s prints was exhibited in three Polish museums.
The collection of 14 of Marc Chagall’s works on paper is now part of the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw as the result of an unprecedented purchase. The works come from Chagall’s family’s collection and were bought from Kornfeld, a recognised Swiss auction house. They originated in the post-war period. They convey Chagall’s wide range of printmaking and drawing techniques. The artist is known for his freedom in using various means of expression, combining gouache, tempera, crayon, pencil, and coloured ink. The high quality of the materials and the perfect condition of all the works are also notable.
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<i>Chagall</i>, exhibition at the National Museum in Warsaw, photo by Bartosz Bajerski / NMW
Marc Chagall (1887–1985),
<i>Crucifixion</i>, 1954–1959, gouache and pastel on cream paper,
The National Museum in Warsaw, © ADAGP, Paris, 2022
<i>Chagall</i>, exhibition at the National Museum in Warsaw, photo by Bartosz Bajerski / NMW
Marc Chagall (1887–1985),
<i>Yellow Goat in the Countryside</i> (<i>Le bouc jaune au village</i>), Les Poemes version, 1968, gouache, ink, pastel, tempera and pencil on cream paper,
The National Museum in Warsaw, © ADAGP, Paris, 2022
<i>Chagall</i>, exhibition at the National Museum in Warsaw, photo by Bartosz Bajerski / NMW
<i>Chagall</i>, exhibition at the National Museum in Warsaw, photo by Bartosz Bajerski / NMW
Marc Chagall (1887–1985),
<i>Light and a Violinist</i> (<i>Lumière sur le violoniste</i>), 1979, gouache, pastel and ink on light blue paper, The National Museum in Warsaw, © ADAGP, Paris, 2022
Marc Chagall (1887–1985), <i>The Bay of Angels</i> (<i>Baie des Anges</i>), 1971–1978
gouache and pastel on cream paper, The National Museum in Warsaw, © ADAGP, Paris, 2022
<i>Chagall</i>, exhibition at the National Museum in Warsaw, photo by Bartosz Bajerski / NMW
Marc Chagall (1887–1985), <i>Around the Exodus</i> (<i>Autour de l’Exode</i>), 1960–1968, gouache, tempera, ink, pastel and coloured pencil on cream paper, The National Museum in Warsaw, © ADAGP, Paris, 2022
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14 May – 25 October 2026 Xawery Dunikowski Museum of Sculpture in Królikarnia
17 April – 13 September 2026 The National Museum in Warsaw