The watercolors and gouaches are highly imaginative--people and objects appear in unusual juxtapositions, seeming to float magically in space. Like all his work, they have an unreality and that quality of fantasy which so greatly influenced the Surrealists.

Here is a vivid collection of the intimate works in watercolor and gouache by one of the most popular painters of the 20th century. Superbly reproduced on special paper, the thirty-two full-page color plates are extraordinarily faithful to the rich color of the originals. Although there are many books on Chagall's paintings, this is the first devoted entirely to his work in watercolor and gouache,selected from leading American museums and private collections by the internationally known critic, Dr. Alfred Werner.

  The selection of paintings covers the full range of the artist's achievement in this casual,spontaneous medium and shows a different side from his more studied works in oil and stained glass. The watercolors and gouaches are highly imaginative--people and objects appear in unusual juxtapositions, seeming to float magically in space. Like all his work, they have an unreality and that quality of fantasy which so greatly influenced the Surrealists.

  Chagall's poetic evocations of the many aspects of Russian life are well represented here by a selection of his earlier watercolors and gouaches. His interest in ballet and the theatre can be seen in his most brilliant contribution to this field--the designs for the sets and costumes for "Aleko,"produced by the Ballet Theatre in 1942. The development of the artist's religious sensitivity is clearly revealed in the themes and treatment of his later works. There are also tender paintings of lovers and flowers, the subjects for which Chagall is so well known.

  Chagall's development as an artist is traced in an informative, penetrating text. The nature of his highly personal style and vivid use of color is examined as the author relates the artist's watercolors and gouaches to his total achievement. Each painting is painstakingly analyzed for historical content, background, and method. The detailed captions for each painting will be of interest to the artist, scholar, student, and all who admire Chagall. The text includes an illuminating chronology.

  The Museum of Modern Art, the Worcester Museum of Art, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are among the collections represented. 88 pages. 101/4 ~ 11.32 full-page color reproductions.Chronology. Bibliography. Index.