In our life, as in an artist’s palette, there is only one colour that can give meaning to life and art — the colour of love

Jewish artist, painter and graphic artist, theatre designer, illustrator who lived in Russia, France and America and created a unique and distinctive style of painting

Рождение

Переезд во Францию

Библейское послание

Витражи

Уход и жизнь

Выставка

Белла

Miraculously, he did not burn during labour: when his mother went into labour, a fire broke out in the house and the mother was carried out of the house on a bed. He later depicted the incident in a painting and said that he had undergone a baptism of fire.

Moses was born on 7 July 1887 in a Jewish settlement on the outskirts of Vitebsk, which belonged to the Russian Empire.

In our life, like in an artist's palette, there is only one colour that can give meaning to life and art the colour, But the important thing is that I was born dead. A pale lump that didn't want to live. They stabbed him with pins, dipped him in a bucket of water. And finally, he meowed weakly.

How long, my beloved city, I haven't seen you, haven't heard you, haven't talked to your clouds, haven't leaned on your fences!

This is how Chagall writes about his hometown. Throughout his life, he has been faithful to his hometown of Vitebsk, and the silliness of his native village will always accompany his work.

In 1973 on invitation of minister of culture Chagall has arrived to Moscow - in The Tretyakov gallery the exhibition of his works was passed. And even then to visit native Vitebsk he and has not decided to see his native city changed too dearly memories of childhood and youth for .

too fond of his childhood memories and his youth to see his hometown transformed

Chagall painted portraits of Vava's second wife more than once, but he never showed her in flight. This role was forever with Bella, whom he now portrayed only as a bride. Bella remained forever in the artist's memory, and he refused to speak of her as dead until his death.

They met in 1909, but did not marry until 25 July 1915. She gave him true happiness; their long married life was not plagued by quarrels or tensions until Bella's death. This marriage produced a daughter, Ida, who became her father's biographer.

The love of his life was Bella Rosenfeld, from a wealthy family of jewellers. They were adamantly against the poor artist. But it was Bella who pulled Mark out of his depression, and it was her love that inspired him to paint what were recognised as masterpieces.

…It was as if we had known each other for a long time, and she knew everything about me: my childhood, my present life, and what would happen to me; as if she had always watched me, even though I had seen her for the first time. And I  understood: this is my wife. The eyes on her pale face are shining. Big, tall, black! Those are my eyes, my soul. I entered the new house, and it was mine forever…

Paris beneath me! My second Vitebsk!
No academy would have given me all that I had learned while wandering around Paris, looking at exhibitions and museums, looking at shop windows. But the easiest place for me to breathe was the Louvre. I was surrounded by friends who had passed away. Their prayers mingled with mine. I stood chained in front of the Rembrandt…

In the 1930s, the French book publisher Ambroise Vollard suggested that Chagall draw illustrations for the Bible. The artist was so fascinated by the idea that he set off on a journey to Palestine to experience the country he had read so much about but had not yet been to.

This was a turning point in Chagall’s work on sacred texts and the images and symbols of Christianity would often be found in his paintings.

He spent ten years  creating a series of prints entitled The Bible Message. And In 1956, the Bible with Chagall’s illustrations was published as a separate book, including 105 prints. His illustrations for the Bible are unlike anything else.

They all form part of the exhibition at the museum in Nice, which opened in 1973 and was called "The Message of the Bible"

Marc Chagall was also a master of monumental art: he made mosaics, stained-glass windows, sculptures and ceramics. He decorated many Catholic and Lutheran churches and synagogues in Europe, the USA and Israel.

On 17 September 1961, the UN Secretary General and 15 others were killed in a plane crash. In memory of them, the stained-glass window of peace was created

Like many of Chagall’s later stained glass windows, it is based on Biblical themes. For Chagall, the window was also a tribute to the United States for providing him with asylum during the Second World War, when he was forced to flee Nazi Europe. The huge 3.7 metres high and 4.6 metres wide masterpiece is housed in the United Nations building in New York.

In 1964, Chagall was commissioned by French President Charles de Gaulle to paint the plafond at the Paris Grand Opera

Chagall's work includes more than just paintings

The artist illustrated Gogol’s Dead Souls, La Fontaine’s Fables and The Thousand and One Nights.

In 1966 he created two panels for the Metropolitan Opera in New York and in Chicago he decorated the National Bank building with the mosaic "The Four Seasons" (1972).

Chagall lived a long life. He died on 28 March 1985,
at age 97.

He died in the lift of his house in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Marc Chagall's place of rest was in the cemetery of the Parisian commune of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

"If everything in life inevitably comes to an end, we must, as long as we live, colour it with all the colours of love and hope"

More than 120 works presented. "Dead Souls" based on the motifs of Gogol’s work: his first experience in book illustration. The mature period of creativity -touching and  mystical illustrations to the Bible. And the third period is represented by Chagall’s aquatints, made for the famous book "And on Earth…". André Malraux.

Where: Museum complex named after Slovcov (Sovetskaya street, 63)
When: 5 5 February 2023

Three eras of Marc Chagall exhibition

A Marc Chagall exhibition is now on show in Tyumen