Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall (1887-1985) is by many standards one of the
most successful artists of the twentieth century. He was raised
in a poor Jewish family in the village of Vitebsk in old Russia.
He forged a unique career in many artistic mediums. From his
early Cubist paintings to his book illustrations, stage sets,
ceramics, stained glass windows, tapestries, and fine art prints,
Chagall’s haunting, powerful yet poetic images have enjoyed
universal appeal.
Early Works include portraits of himself and his fiancee Bella, and scenes of Jewish
community life in Vitesbk.
Dedicated to my Fiance
(1911) - Oil on Canvas
I and the Village
(1911) - Oil on Canvas
Later Works included scenes of Paris, musicians, and windows
Paris through the Window
(1913) - Oil on Canvas
The Poet (Half Past Three)
(1911) - Oil on Canvas
Student Examples
Student Examples
Symbols used often in Chagall’s works of art
Symbols:
Something that stands for or represents something else, especially an object
representing an abstraction
Milk, Meat, Leather, Horn, Power for land
Cow:
Tree: Life and Growth
Rooster: Fertility
Vitebsk the Fiddler played music at cross-points of life, (births, weddings, deaths,
Fiddler: In
celebrations)
Herring: Chagall’s father worked in a fish factory
Horses: Freedom, Riding, Power for farming tools, and carrying loads
Pendulum Clock: Time, modest life style
Candlestick: Two candles symbolize the Menorah
Windows: Chagall’s love of freedom
Houses of Vitebsk: Often in paintings from Paris, feelings for his homeland
Scenes of the Circus: Harmony of Man and Animal, which induces Creativity in Man
The Eiffel Tower: Freedom, Up in the Sky, Exploring the New