Asti's Palazzo Mazzetti Opens Major Marc Chagall Exhibition

The newly established Fondazione Asti Musei inaugurated 'Con Chagall. Colore e magia' on September 26 at Palazzo Mazzetti, marking a strategic move to revitalize the Piedmontese city with international contemporary art. Following a retrospective on Alighiero Boetti, the venue positions itself as a new hub for contemporary art, backed by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Asti (represented by Mario Sacco) and Gruppo Arthemisia. The exhibition, previously shown in Seoul, features over 100 works spanning Chagall's career from the late 1920s to the early 1980s, including little-known paintings from private collections. Curated by Dolores Durán Úcar, highlights include 'Villaggio russo' (1929), depicting his hometown Vitebsk; 'Amoureux à l'âne bleu' (c. 1955); and 'L'âne à la table' (1980). A substantial section on engravings showcases Chagall's literary collaborations, notably with poet Guillaume Apollinaire, and his illustrations for Jean de La Fontaine's fables (1927-1952) and the Bible (published 1956), commissioned by dealer Ambroise Vollard. The exhibition also features 'I sette peccati capitali' (1926) with texts by Jean Giraudoux, Max Jacob, and André Salmon, accompanied by Chagall's etchings. Art critic Meyer Schapiro praised Chagall's biblical illustrations as evidence of his greatness. The show runs through early 2019.