A unique show of Marc Chagall’s work debuts Sept. 29 at the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College, and several “firsts” are noted in “Chagall: Stories into Dreams.”
In addition to being the museum’s first Marc Chagall exhibition, it is the only one of its kind in Florida, and the only one in the country that pairs Chagall’s “Fables of La Fontaine” etchings with his famed “Story of Exodus” lithographs.
This exhibition features 42 works of art, including the complete color lithographic “Story of Exodus” suite (1966), which entails 24 works, and 15 etchings from the “Fables of La Fontaine” series (1952).
“Chagall: Stories into Dreams” explores the ways in which Chagall transformed familiar parables in human history into fantastically new visions, said Dr. Alex Rich, curator and director of galleries and exhibitions.
“Chagall’s Exodus suite presents an exciting visual dialogue with his ‘Fables of La Fontaine’ illustrations,” Rich said. “Visitors will see how Chagall uses these series to illustrate universal concepts of morality and immorality, right and wrong, and good and bad.”
Two additional paintings in the show, “L’Inspiration” and “Deux Têtes,” allude to the creative muses that inspired the artist.
Chagall is one of the best known artists of the 20th century due to his self-publicity and ability to mass produce his work, which defies easy stylistic categorization. He took bits of popular movements like Cubism and more obscure movements like Orphism, a manner marked by its light-filled explorations of color, and combined them with his own nostalgia to create uniquely modern work that reflects narrative, allegory and fantasy.
This exhibition closes on Jan. 6, 2019. The Members Reception is Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. It is free for PMA members and $10 for nonmembers.
About the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College
The Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida, is a private, not-for-profit academic fine art museum dedicated to promoting inspirational and engaging arts experiences for all. It is one of the Top 10 art museums in the State of Florida, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the only art museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums serving the 666,000 residents of Polk County. Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesdays – Saturdays; 1-5 p.m. Sundays (closed Sundays June 1 through Labor Day) and closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is free for everyone year-round, thanks to the following organizations: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union; the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation; and the Share Foundation. The museum is fully accessible.
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