The Holy Woman

Due to required maintenance, some galleries and artwork may be off view. Learn more

Currently not on view

The Holy Woman

c. 1917

Reproduction after a drawing of c. 1913 by Marc Chagall (French (born Vitebsk, Russian Empire), 1887–1985) Published by Verlag der Sturm, Berlin

A pregnant woman whose unborn child is visible through her womb appears multiple times in Chagall’s work between 1912 and 1913, first as a gouache study, then as a pen and ink drawing, from which this relief print was made, and finally as a large-scale painting, now in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. The artist derived his composition from a style of Byzantine icon that portrays Christ on a pendant hanging across the Virgin Mary’s torso. In Chagall’s representation, the pregnant woman becomes a Russian peasant in a traditional patterned dress, tied to the cycles of birth, the moon, seasonal migration, and the harvest.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Titles:

The Holy Woman
Published in the journal Der Sturm, Vol. VIII, No. 2 (Berlin, May 1917)

Date:

c. 1917

Artists:

Reproduction after a drawing of c. 1913 by Marc Chagall (French (born Vitebsk, Russian Empire), 1887–1985) Published by Verlag der Sturm, Berlin

Medium:

Metal relief print (reproduction of a pen and ink drawing)

Dimensions:

Image: 12 x 7 1/4 inches (30.5 x 18.4 cm) Sheet: 13 1/2 x 9 9/16 inches (34.3 x 24.3 cm)

Classification:

Prints

Credit Line:

Gift of Christian Brinton, 1941

Accession Number:

1941-79-23

Geography:

Made in Paris, France, Europe

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.

Currently not on view

More like this:

1/12