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A Policeman and a Peasant. Costume design for Scene IV of the ballet Aleko

A Policeman and a Peasant. Costume design for Scene IV of the ballet Aleko

Marc Chagall
French, born Belarus. 1887–1985
1942
A costume design in gouache, watercolor, and pencil by Marc Chagall for Scene IV of the ballet Aleko, intended to convey the personality and stage presence of a policeman and a peasant rather than technical sewing details.
What strikes you is the loose, playful brushwork: a broad, deep‑green coat and jaunty cap painted with watery color against generous white space, while a small, sketchy peasant clutching a yellow jug floats nearby like a memory.
This drawing shows Chagall’s vital role in modern theater design, bringing his folkloric imagery and painterly imagination into ballet and helping to reshape how costume and set could express mood and narrative.
Medium
Gouache, watercolor, and pencil on paper
Dimensions
15 7/8 x 11 7/8" (40.3 x 30.2 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest (by exchange)
Accession
137.1945.45
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
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