Works by Marc Chagall from the collection of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem visited Korea for the first time in 2018. One of the most acclaimed artists of the 20th century, Chagall is so universal that everyone knows and admires his work. Chagall stands out among the artists of the last century because he remained true to himself despite living through the pressures of wars, disasters, turbulent political times and the technological revolution.

This exhibition includes drawings, a number of oil paintings, gouaches, lithographs, engravings and watercolours, all of which reveal an artistic perspective that was shaped by Chagall’s deep love for his wife, Bella, and by her untimely death in 1944. The exhibition traces the artist’s life and work, reflecting the most important European traditions, from the Russian Jewish culture within which he grew up, to his immersion in the painting of the French avant-garde.

Taking the title of one of Bella’s books, Burning Lights, Chagall continues to shine brightly. He was never a tortured artist, but rather, an optimist who retained his joie de vivre right up to the end of his long life.