Provenance
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Shapiro, Chicago, probably by 1958 [Chicago 1958]; given to the Art Institute, 1992.
Accession Number
117360
Medium
Pen and brush and black ink, over traces of graphite on tan wove paper, laid down on ivory wove card
Dimensions
Primary support: 16.5 × 13.3 cm (6 1/2 × 5 1/4 in.); Secondary support: 17.8 × 14.1 cm (7 1/16 × 5 9/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Shapiro
Background & Context
Background Story
Marc Chagall's The Actor (1914) is a pen and brush and black ink drawing over graphite on tan wove paper. This drawing shows an actor, perhaps from the Russian theater or the Yiddish stage, rendered with Chagall's characteristic expressive line. The actor is shown in his costume, his figure rendered with a combination of precise observation and imaginative transformation. The date 1914 places this work shortly before Chagall's return to Russia, where he would become involved with the Russian avant-garde theater.
Cultural Impact
Chagall's theatrical subjects reflect his lifelong engagement with the world of performance, from the Russian theater to the Paris Opera.
Why It Matters
This drawing of an actor captures the expressive power of the performer, Chagall's fluid line conveying the magic of theatrical transformation.
