The artwork titled “Revelations of Nozdryov” was created by Marc Chagall around 1923 in Paris, France. It is an etching on paper, expressing the Naïve Art movement, more specifically, Primitivism. The piece measures 27.7 x 21.1 cm and falls under the genre of illustration. It is a part of the “Dead Souls” series by Chagall and is housed at the Tretyakov Gallery located in Moscow, Russia.
The artwork depicts a rather whimsical and bizarre scene, resonant with Chagall’s penchant for the fantastic and the dreamlike. At the center, there appears to be a corpulent figure, possibly Nozdryov from Nikolai Gogol’s “Dead Souls,” to whom the title of the artwork refers. This central figure is lying back, giving the impression of being in a state of revelation or perhaps even confrontation. The distorted perspective and exaggerated features are characteristic of Chagall’s work, helping to convey an emotional rather than a literal truth.
In the background, several smaller figures can be seen participating in a range of activities that add to the surreal quality of the etching. Some appear to be dancing, while others are engaged in conversations or other interactions. The setting is hard to define, with various elements seeming to float without a clear sense of space or conventional structure. The use of light and dark contrasts within the etching contributes to the drama of the scene and emphasizes the dreamlike and narrative quality of the work. The artwork speaks to the viewer’s imagination, inviting them to interpret the scene through the prism of Chagall’s expressive symbolism.
