Representing the culmination of nearly a year of research by more than 20 GW students and alumni, this symposium celebrates the launch of an online exhibition dedicated to the print works of Marc Chagall in the GW Collection. Although his achievements as an etcher are often eclipsed by his renowned paintings, stained glass, and monumental commissions, graphic art lies at the heart of his artistic practice. This online exhibition brings together 27 etchings from the GW Collection, 14 of which are from Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls, and a unique silk scarf held by the George Washington University Museum The Textile Museum.

Beyond the works in the GW Collection, Washington is home to numerous Chagall works that remain largely “hidden”—either because they are not on public view, are difficult to access, or have received little scholarly attention. Prints, drawings, pastels, and watercolors, for example, are inherently fragile and therefore exhibited infrequently. Other works, such as the silk scarf in the Textile Museum and the exceptional bon à tirer impressions in the GW Collection, remain little known to scholars, while works like the Orpheus mosaic in the NGA Sculpture Garden, though well documented, are often overlooked by visitors. The proceedings from this symposium seek to bring these hidden treasures into greater public and scholarly awareness while encouraging new ways of engaging with Chagall’s art. Chagall not only engaged in the visual arts across various media, but he also expressed his inner world in every art form he created.

Accommodations: ADA Accessible Venue

Organization: George Washington University

Livestream or Virtual: Yes, it is