Finding a Sense of Belonging in Marc Chagall’s Art

Have you ever looked at a painting and felt like it was telling your story? That’s how Marc Chagall’s art has always felt to me. Though he was born nearly a century before me, his journey, with all its highs and lows, feels unexpectedly relatable.

From a Humble Village to Parisian Heights

Marc Chagall was born Moishe Shagal on July 6, 1887, in Vitebsk, now Belarus. When he later moved to Paris, he adopted the name "Marc Chagall" to blend more easily into the French art scene. 

He grew up in a close-knit Jewish community and was the eldest of nine children. Chagall’s father worked in a herring factory, while his mother ran a small shop, barely making ends meet. But their world was rich with traditions and stories, and those cultural roots became the foundation of Chagall’s art.

“The soil that nourished the roots of my art was Vitebsk.” - Marc Chagall

Although Chagall’s home had no art, and his family, like many at the time, couldn’t fully understand his artistic ambitions, that didn’t stop him. He enrolled in art schools in St. Petersburg and later moved to Paris.

Painting Dreams That Defy Reality

Chagall didn’t create art to replicate what he saw. He created art to evoke emotions, relive memories, and capture dreams. His paintings often feature flying figures, upside-down houses, and animals with human characteristics, all set in vivid, surreal colors. Chagall created his own universe where the laws of gravity didn’t apply.

Marc Chagall, Self-Portrait, 1914

Chagall’s work is instantly recognizable and deeply personal. While he borrowed elements from fauvism, cubism, and expressionism, he refused to be tied to any one movement. Instead, he created a style that blended his Jewish heritage, Russian folklore, and deep spirituality into something uniquely his own. 

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.” - Marc Chagall

The Narrow Escape That Changed His Life

In 1941, Chagall narrowly escaped the Holocaust. Thanks to American journalist Varian Fry, who risked his life to rescue 2,000 to 4,000 Jewish and anti-Nazi intellectuals from the Gestapo, Chagall and his family were smuggled out of France to the United States. 

This period of displacement deeply affected Chagall. He struggled to find inspiration, feeling disconnected from the familiar surroundings of Europe that had always fueled his creativity. His art reflected the pain and loss of exile.

Marc Chagall, White Crucifixion, 1938

One of his most powerful works from this time, White Crucifixion, reinterprets the Christian crucifixion as a symbol of Jewish suffering during the rise of Nazi persecution.

A New Chapter of Artistic Exploration

Despite the pain of leaving Europe, Chagall found new creative energy in New York. His ability to merge his memories of Europe with the opportunities he found in America helped him stand out in the crowded New York art scene. He didn’t just paint. He explored stained glass, ceramics, and large public murals, all while solidifying his reputation as a master of blending dreamlike and real worlds.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Chagall received numerous commissions for large-scale projects, including stained-glass windows for the cathedrals of Metz and Reims.

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One of his most notable achievements was the ceiling of the Paris Opera House, completed in 1964 at the age of 77. This 2,400-square-foot mural, painted with 440 pounds of color, showcased Chagall’s signature ability to merge tradition with modernity.

The Paintings That Define Chagall’s Legacy

Three of Chagall’s most famous paintings are I and the Village, The Birthday, and The Fiddler. 

I and the Village is a dreamlike scene where a green-faced man, likely Chagall himself, gazes at a village landscape. The composition is filled with symbols from his childhood, such as a floating cow, a fiddler, and a milkmaid.

Marc Chagall, I and the Village, 1911

The Birthday celebrates the joy of love, with Chagall floating above his wife, Bella, as if their connection lifts him off the ground. The painting’s bright colors and impossible angles create a world where love defies all laws of nature.

Marc Chagall, The Birthday, 1915

Finally, The Fiddler, which later inspired the famous musical Fiddler on the Roof, reflects Chagall’s Jewish roots and the role music played in his life.

Marc Chagall, The Fiddler, 1913

A Lifelong Dedication to Art

Marc Chagall worked right up to the end of his life.  He passed away on March 28, 1985, at the age of 97, in St. Paul-de-Vence, France. Remarkably, Chagall had been discussing a new commission for a tapestry with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on the day he died, a testament to his lifelong dedication to his art.

Chagall’s legacy continues today. In 2017, his 1928 painting Les Amoureux sold for $28.5 million, becoming the highest price ever paid for one of his works.

Marc Chagall, Les Amoureux, 1928

Chagall’s influence on the art world is vast. He produced over 1,000 lithographs, more than 500 etchings, and over 1,000 other artworks, including paintings and drawings. 

The Marc Chagall Museum in Nice, France, now houses the largest public collection of his art.