His work on this design was completed in 1922, with the published etchings arriving a year later. My Life (Mein Leben) is a relatively simple composition, reflecting the amount of work that Chagall had to complete for the overall project of around 20 etchings in total. The illustration captures a figure on the right hand side in a seemingly contemplative mood, with a loose outline of their home alongside and also a bright sun showing through. Lettering is then added across this design, with his signature added to the bottom left corner. The artist then called upon the services of Paul Cassirer, Berlin who was a specialist printmaker who could professional reproduce Chagall's designs in the format required. Chagall was someone who loved to try out different methods during his career but always recognised that on some occasions he was better served putting his trust into the experts of certain artistic disciplines.
Chagall produced a series of etchings in 1922 after being attracted to the print-making techniques for the first time in that very year. His initial work on My Life attracted a specialist who encouraged him to expand on it with further works, with the intention of then printing out a whole series together. This exciting project would set the artist off with excitement and he would produce several other series of prints later on as his enthusiasm continued.
Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night is probably the most famous painting found within the collection of MoMA. The institution holds over 200 artworks just from Chagall's career alone, as well as many more from other notable artists including Post-Impressionists such as Van Gogh and also a good number who appeared in the first half of the 20th century. This venue is currently amongst the most visited of all global art galleries and museums, recognising the interest in culture within New York as well as the number of tourists that they receive each year who will have the time and interest to also visit such locations. They continue to add to their collection each and every year, partly through private acquisitions but also through a steady stream of generous donations from local and national collectors.
