Like stained glass, tapestry and ceramics, mosaics were among the new artistic expressions that Marc Chagall experimented with after the Second World War, when he returned to France in 1949 to work in Vence. It opened up new avenues for the artist in his research into light, matter and colour, and in the creation of monumental works in dialogue with architecture.
The artistic agreement that Chagall established with the mosaicists embodied a synergy where innovation and heritage met, revealing the way in which an ancestral technique could stimulate contemporary creation. Between 1958 and 1986, Chagall created fourteen mosaics, fourteen mosaics spread between the south of France (Nice, Vence, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Les-Arcs-sur-Argens), the United States (Chicago and Washington), Israel (Jerusalem) and Switzerland, with a work created for a private mansion in Paris and then transferred to the Fondation Gianadda in Martigny in 2003.
For the first time, this exhibition offers a complete overview of the fourteen mosaic projects created by Chagall, through numerous works and archive documents. Given the architectural nature of mosaics, some twenty-five sketches and models of Chagall's mosaics illustrate the artist's research and creative process, while four or five mosaic pieces have been brought together exceptionally and will form a highlight of the exhibition.
It is also an opportunity to showcase the mosaic The Chariot of Elijah, created in 1971 for the Musée national Marc Chagall, by presenting it opposite the two models of this work, including the previously unpublished one acquired in 2023. A collection of paintings, drawings, engravings and lithographs completes the exhibition.
Drawn from private collections and national and international institutions, these works are highlighted by an immersive scenography featuring large-format photographs of the mosaics and interactive displays designed to introduce visitors to this age-old technique. The museum is making the exhibition accessible to as many people as possible, using tactile devices to help them understand the mosaic technique, for everyone, especially families and the visually impaired.
This exhibition is co-produced by the GrandPalaisRmn, the national Museums of the 20th century in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Museo d'Arte della città di Ravenna (Italy).
The exhibition will be on show from October 2025 to January 2026 at the Museo d'Arte della città di Ravenna (Italy).
General curatorship:
Anne Dopffer, Head of the 20th Century National Museums of the Alpes-Maritimes
Grégory Couderc, Scientific Director of the Musée national Marc Chagall, Nice
Curator in Ravenna:
Giorgia Salerno, Curator at the Museo d'Arte della città di Ravenna (MAR)
Daniele Torcellini, Director of the Ravenna Biennial of contemporary Mosaics
