WATERLOO - The relationship between man and God is explored in a series created by one of the 20th century's most important and idiosyncratic artists.

"Marc Chagall: The Bible Series" opens Oct. 15 at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, and features 105 hand-colored etchings the artist created over 25 years to illustrate scenes from the Old Testament. The collection is on loan through Dec. 15 from the collection of Patrick and Beatrice Haggerty Museum of Arts at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

"We're very excited to host an exhibition of this caliber in our community," said Cammie Scully, director of the center and the Cultural and Arts Commission. "Knowledge of exhibitions like this comes from networking we do with other museums around the country. All museums generally have important national treasures in their collections and many are willing to share among museums in this network."

Chagall is associated with the surrealist movement because much of his work depicted colorful dreams and fantasies based on his childhood in Russia, his Jewish faith and his life and loves in both the United States and France. He once said he worked in "whatever medium likes me at the moment," including gouache, watercolors, pastels, ink, collage, engraving and lithography.

Considered one of the most successful artists of the 20th century, Chagall (1887-1985) took inspiration from his Russian background but also assimilated a vast range of modern art techniques while maintaining his own unique voice. He was a painter, printmaker and designer who also created theater sets and costumes, murals, stained-glass windows and tapestries. His work includes the American Windows for the Chicago Art Institute celebrating the United States' bicentennial, two large murals at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City and a canvas that covers the ceiling at the Paris Opera.

Born in the Russian town of Vitebsk, he studied art in St. Petersburg and Paris. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, he became Commissar for the Arts in Vitebsk and later stage designer for the Jewish State Theater in Moscow. In 1923, a disillusioned Chagall left the Soviet Union and settled in France. At the urging of Parisian art dealer and publisher Ambroise Vollard, Chagall began his series of prints based on the Bible.

He first painted the gouaches that served as models for the works on a visit to Palestine in 1931. With the German occupation of France during World War II, the deportation of Jews and the Holocaust, Chagall fled Paris and escaped the United States in 1941. He returned to France in 1948, returned to work on the Bible series four years later and completed it in 1956.

"Most people are somewhat familiar with Chagall's best paintings, but this is a body of work he was passionate about and it was very personal. They'll see elements they're familiar with, like the floating or flying figures, but it's different from what most people associate with Chagall," says Curator Kent Shankle.

In conjunction with this exhibition a selection of works by contemporary Jewish printmakers Reuven Rubin and Theo Tobiasse, on loan from the collection of Dr. Gregorio and Bobbi Kazenelson, and works of Judaica from WCA's permanent collection also will be on view. An exhibition of photographs depicting stained-glass window panels at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue by Eileen Cotty will be on display.

Contact Melody Parker at (319) 291-1429 or melody.parker@wcfcourier.com.