\"Marc Chagall's art transforms the visible world, human emotions, and the realm of dream and memory into unforgettable pictorial poetry. The vitality and joy of his paintings and his genius as a colorist won him the admiration of critics and laymen alike. Working in an extraordinarily wide range of mediums--painting, graphics, stage design, pottery, sculpture, ceramic murals, mosaics, and stain-glass windows--he created a body of work that places him among the greatest masters of the twentieth century. Chagall grew up in the small Russian town of Vitebsk, where life in the Jewish community was deeply rooted in religion, and he drew on his memories and visions of his native town as a major source of inspiration throughout his life. The other focal point of his life and art was Paris, to which he first came in 1910 and which he revisited many times later in his life. During his first ten years there he met the major painters and poets of the early modern period, and absorbed the concepts of Cubism and Orphism, which nourished the development of his own unique style. Chagall's art never became static, but moved with the events and ideas around him. He was especially affected by the tragedies of World War II, and during that time created a number of his finest works. In his later years he increased the religious motifs of his repertoire, as in his beautiful and famous stained-glass windows. The author, Dr. Werner Haftmann, formerly Director of the Nationalgalerie, Berlin, provides us with a thorough study of Chagall's art, enriched with warm personal insights into his character, life, and creative processes. Forty-nine large colorplates are accompanied by individual analytical commentaries. The color reproductions are supplemented by numerous black-and-white illustrations throughout the text, plus a special section of drawings and graphic works. A biographical outline and a selected bibliography are also provided.\"--Publisher's description.