Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Culture Minister Piotr Gliński on Monday shared details of the purchase at a news conference at the National Museum. He lauded Chagall as “a one-of-a-kind artist.”
Gliński said the government "had a duty to add to existing collections" by buying artworks on the auction market.
“We are seeking to look after all museums across the country,” he told reporters.
The purchase comprises 14 of Chagall’s late-period, colour drawings, including Bible-themed works, the state PAP news agency reported.
Łukasz Gaweł, the director of the Warsaw museum, hailed the “fantastic” condition of the drawings, some of which date from the 1960s.
The museum’s Anna Manicka told PAP that Polish officials "had to put up a fierce fight” for Chagall’s works at an auction in Switzerland.
“It’s one of the most marvelous purchases for our museum in recent years,” she said.
The drawings are set to be put on public display in the spring, officials announced.
Born in the late 19th century near the city of Vitebsk in today’s Belarus, Chagall created works in various artistic styles and formats, from cubism to symbolism, including paintings and stained-glass windows.
His output is celebrated for its Jewish motifs and use of colour, the PAP news agency reported.
Marc Chagall, pictured in the 1920s. Image: Pierre Choumoff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Chagall died in France in 1985 at the age of 97.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP