“Illustration to Nikolai Gogol’s ‘Dead Souls’,” created around 1923 in Paris by Marc Chagall, is an etching on paper that belongs to the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement. This illustration genre artwork is part of a series based on the literary work “Dead Souls” by Nikolai Gogol. It is housed in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia.
The artwork depicts a lively yet morose scene filled with various human and animal figures intricately detailed across a village setting. The piece showcases Chagall’s characteristic whimsical style, using delicate lines and a monochromatic palette to bring Gogol’s narrative to life. The illustration features a procession, with figures appearing to be in mourning, moving through the streets of the village. The buildings, defined by simple, naïve lines, frame the illustration, adding to the sense of rustic community. Overall, the artwork captures a moment of somber communal activity, richly depicted with Chagall’s distinct poetic and fantastical touch.
