The Oglethorpe University Museum of Art is now featuring an exhibition of sixty-five rarely viewed etchings and aquatints by Russian-born painter and printmaker Marc Chagall.  The exhibition also features five colored lithographs from the private collection of Drs. Isaac and Yolanta Melamed. The show will run through December 11, 2011.

Oglethorpe students are invited to a special students-only opening reception at the Museum on Tuesday, October 4, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Hear about the artwork and enjoy some refreshments as well!

The exhibit focuses on the early etchings of the 1920s when Chagall and his young bride Bella (Berta) Rosenfeld moved to Paris following the Russian Revolution of 1917.  Included in the exhibit are the famous etchings based on Dead Souls and the La Fontaine Fables.  Chagall was prolific in his artistic endeavors and he became a master in many pursuits that included painting, tapestry design, stained glass, mosaics and the graphic arts.  His interest in etching began when he was thirty-five years old while still living in Berlin before moving to Paris.  He was passionate about learning all the technical aspects of using the burin and drypoint in this newly discovered art form.

During the exhibit’s run, OUMA will also offer lectures and the Skylight Gallery Concert Series. Visit the OUMA website for more information.

OUMA is open Tuesday-Sunday, 12 noon – 5 p.m., with docent tours offered at 2 p.m. on Sundays. General admission is $5.00, but if you have a Petrel Pass it’s free!  OU students, you can earn a Petrel Point by attending the student reception or by checking out the exhibit. Don’t miss it!

Pictured: Lloyd Nick, director of the OU Museum of Art.