From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up. An engaging look at Chagall's life, art, and times. Not a standard biography, this visually stunning, oversized volume looks at where the artist came from; the influences in his life; and the people, places, and artistic and cultural developments that took place during his 97 years. The volume is formatted so that each double-page spread serves as a chapter. In some, there is a large central illustration that presents a theme or topic, an italicized text that explains Chagall's connection to it, several full-color reproductions of his related works, and an additional sidebar that expands upon the theme. Additional double-spreads focus on the painter's major works or central images such as self-portraits or Vitebsk, his hometown. It is on these pages that critical analysis is presented and is related to the works of other artists. The author and illustrators avoid confusion by relating each detail on the page to another. The result is a visual gallery complemented by an intelligent and far-ranging text. Readers are introduced to the cultural community of the times, including the Ballet Russe impresario, Leon Bakst; other painters such as Matisse, Monet and Dali; and poets Cendrars and Apollinaire. A list of major museums and places to view Chagall's art is appended. This title expands upon other volumes such as Howard Greenfeld's Marc Chagall (Abrams, 1990) and provides a feast for the mind and eye.?Kathryn Kosiorek, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OHCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
A remarkable biography of Chagall, exploring both his tremendous lifelong output of art, and the lush artistic world in which he lived. Pozzi strives to make the biography accessible right from the outset, introducing major ``characters''-- Chagall's wife, art dealers, and his friends--in pictures and caption biographies. Text and illustrations play equal roles throughout, recounting the artist's childhood in the small Russian town of Vitebsk, through his adult life in Paris, his marriage, and old age. Pozzi is careful to point out facets of the art (the Eiffel Tower, symbols of Judaism) that are also symbols of Chagall's experiences. Along with the many full-color reproductions (which, typical of the Masters of Art series, are often too small to do the paintings justice) of his work, there are numerous reproductions of art by his contemporaries, enveloping readers in the ideas of the times and introducing them to artists they may not yet know. (chronology, index) (Biography. 9-13) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Book Description
Marc Chagall remains one of the most popular and influential artists of the 20th century. His work is part of permanent collections of major museums all over the world. Chagall’s journey as an artist led him from a small village in pre-revolutionary Russia to Paris, Israel, and New York. Influenced by Russian folklore and the Jewish tradition, Chagall introduced a new set of symbols and images in the world of painting. Fantastic images met religious symbolism in a whole new way. This book chronicles Chagall’s life story and art with high quality reproductions of his paintings, analysis of the work, and illustrations and photographs of the era.
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Italian
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