Widely regarded as one of the great artists of the twentieth century, Marc Chagall (1887-1985) created a body of work which includes paintings, prints, theater sets and costumes, murals, and stained-glass windows. Chagall was born in the small Russian town of Vitebsk. He studied art in St. Petersburg and in Paris, where his work was influenced by Cubism. After the Russian Revolution, he became head of the Vitebsk art school and later theatrical designer for the Jewish State Theater in Moscow. Chagall traveled widely and lived in Germany, France, and the United States. He became a French citizen in 1937 and settled permanently in France in 1948. 

In 1930, Chagall was commissioned by Parisian art dealer Ambroise Vollard to create the Bible series. He worked on the prints over a twenty-five year period, painting the gouaches that served as models for the works while on a visit to Palestine in 1931. He completed sixty-six of the etching plates before Vollardís death in 1939. Chagall returned to the project thirteen years later, finishing the series in 1956.

The exhibition presents a selection from the complete set of 105 etchings given to the Museum by Patrick and Beatrice Haggerty. With their fluid forms, often dreamlike sense of space, and painterly style, the Bible prints clearly show Chagallís hand. In their choice of subject matter, they demonstrate the artistís reading of the Old Testament in its moments of triumph, sorrow, and prophecy. 

Chagallís Bible images often focus on the complex relationship between God and man. Men are called by God to perform great acts, but remain very human, capable of weakness, doubt, deception, lust, and treachery. Jacob, father of the twelve tribes of Israel, deceives his father, Isaac, in order to receive a blessing in place of his brother. Joseph is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. David lusts after Bathsheba, subsequently sending an innocent man to his death. 

The choice of subject is also influenced by Chagallís Jewish heritage. He illustrates many of the significant incidents relating to the fathers of the Jewish people and the journey to the Promised Land, as well as the prophecies of the New Jerusalem. Begun before Hitlerís rise to power and completed after World War II, the prints also bear the mark of twentieth-century history. They made a significant impact on Chagall, sparking a continued interest in Old Testament themes which lasted throughout his life.