ArtsWestchester: A Rare ‘Window’ Into Marc Chagall and His Process

The Union Church of Pocantico Hills may seem unassuming, but it is residence to some of the most significant works of modern art in the county in the form of stained-glass masterpieces: the last commissioned work by Henri Matisse, and the nine windows by Marc Chagall.

The windows, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, depict parables of Old and New Testaments of the Bible while also telling stories of the Rockefellers. For instance, Matisse’s Rose Window was commissioned as a memorial window to Abbie Aldrich Rockefeller, who was one of the co-founders of the Museum of Modern Art. In a similar vein, a large nave window by Chagall depicting the story of The Good Samaritan was commissioned in the early 1960s to commemorate John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

While Chagall rarely shared his sketches, David Rockefeller was able to acquire them in 1975 for the Rockefeller Archive Center. Now, in celebration of its 50th Anniversary, the Archive Center has collaborated with the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to present an exhibition, Sketching Light: Chagall’s Windows for Union Church, at Pocantico Center in Tarrytown, on view until May 17 in its The David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center.

Read more at ArtsNews.