Daphnis and Chloe and Other Lovers: Lithographs by Marc Chagall

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

The exhibition Daphnis and Chloe and Other Lovers: Lithographs by Marc Chagall showcases the artist’s career as a printmaker and master of color with fifty images depicting the mythical tale Daphnis and Chloe, a Greek novel written by Longus in the 2nd century A.D. Chagall uses dreamlike imagery and luminous colors to re-imagine the story of a goatherd and shepherdess destined for love, fighting against all odds to be with one another. For the Russo-Jewish artist, love was a longstanding theme throughout his career. From his childhood in a Hasidic Jewish community in Russia, to the highs and lows of two marriages, Chagall reflects on the memories and moments of love in his life through his command of color, form, and narrative. This show allows viewers to appreciate his remarkable range, recognizing his mastery of vibrant hues and fantastic symbolism, qualities that made Chagall one of the most transformative artists of the twentieth century.

Chagall initially refused the 1939 commission from Tériade (Stratis Eleftheriades), a Greek publisher and arts patron, to picture the pastoral romance, not wanting to imitate artist and his close friend Pierre Bonnard’s illustrated version of the same novel. However, after Bonnard’s death, Chagall relented, using his recent marriage to Valentina Brodsky as a major source of inspiration. Between 1952 and 1954, the artist and his newlywed traveled to Greece, where he admired the landscape and created preparatory sketches of Lesbos, the story’s setting. In collaboration with French master printer Charles Sorlier, Chagall spent nearly a decade illustrating and printing the graphic series, which was eventually published in 1961 as a limited-edition book.

Chagall’s painstaking determination to exemplify and represent the colors and atmosphere of the Mediterranean made Daphnis and Chloe one of the most successful lithographic series of his career. The set continues to serve as a reminder that love can conquer anything, a theme that resonated throughout Chagall’s life and work.

This exhibition is organized by Carole Sorell, Inc., curated by David S. Rubin, and presented by the Park West Foundation. It is supported by a grant from the Pennington Family Foundation.

on view February 12–May 24, 2026

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