Marc Chagall, Stage curtain for Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ (Finale)

Throughout his long and prolific career, Marc Chagall discovered how his whimsical, playful imagery was transferable into a whole range of media, ranging from drawing and painting to ceramics, theatre designs, mosaics, costumes and textiles. He discovered the joy of fabric as early as the 1920s while producing fabric backdrops and costume designs for the theatre, and the love affair continued throughout his life, extending into tapestries, textile, and more. Chagall saw fabric as a powerful means of sharing his visual language with a wide audience, as well as bringing the imagery from his two-dimensional art into living, breathing three-dimensions.

Chagall’s first taste of theatre and costume came in Paris during an apprenticeship with the famed theatre designer and artist Leon Bakst in 1911 for the Ballets Russes, and the experience was inspiring enough to push Chagall into pursuing more. Forced to flee Paris following the outbreak of war in 1914, Chagall took up work designing costumes and sets for the Moscow State Jewish Theatre’s 1921 production of An Evening of Sholem Aleichem, and he was dazzled by the way the large-scale murals and costumes brought his imagery to life.

Costumes by Chagall for Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’

It was another 20 years before Chagall returned to working with theatre costume; following his exile to New York during World War II, he made a series of hand-painted costumes for the Ballet Theatre of New York production of Aleko, which premiered in 1942. Chagall’s designs took influence from various sources, including the music, poetry and art of Russia, as well as traditional Mexican costume.

Just a year later, Chagall created the stage curtain, set, and costume designs for the Ballet Theatre production of The Firebird, which premiered in New York in 1945. He designed more than 80 costumes, and his design approach was more daring and adventurous than ever, with complex, layered costumes made from a blend of diaphanous and heavy fabrics, along with elements of applique and embroidery.

Marc Chagall, Les Amoureux, 1956 Screen print on cotton Fuller Fabrics, New York. Source: Gray MCA

In 1953, Dan Fuller of Fuller Fabrics spearheaded the Modern Masters programme, inviting Marc Chagall, along with Pablo Picasso, Fernand Leger, Joan Miro and Raoul Dufy, to select motifs from their art to transform into repeat pattern furnishing fabrics. Artists played a key role in the design process, including selecting a range of the final colours. Chagall’s contributions showcased his typically whimsical style, scattered with a series of his quirky colourful and linear motifs, and were titled: Les Amoureux, Vue de Paris, Belle Fleurs, and Evening Enchantment.

Fabric design by Chagall

Chagall returned to costume design following a return to France, producing sets and costumes for the Paris Opera Ballet’s production of Daphnis and Chloe in 1956. Building on his earlier success, Chagall’s spirited and playful costumes were hand-painted while dancers were wearing them, capturing the fluid energy and movement of their dances as they whirled through space.

The 1960s were another prolific decade for Chagall’s textile production; he produced numerous tapestry designs on commission for public spaces, including three for the Great Hall of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) and one for the Musee National Message Biblique Marc Chagall as well as developing what would become a 20-year partnership with artist and weaver Yvette Cauquil-Prince – together they collaborated on 29 different large-scale tapestries.

Stage and costumes by Chagall for Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’. New York 1964

But perhaps the culmination of Chagall’s long-standing relationship with fabric came with his commission to produce costumes for the Metropolitan Opera House’s New York production of the Magic Flute. Chagall stunned audiences with a series of carefully sculpted costumes made from layer upon layer of dyed fabric featuring intricate passages of embroidery, and they stand today as a fitting conclusion to the artist’s lifelong love affair with fabric and textiles.