Born as Moishe Segal in Vitebsk, Russia (now in Belarus), 1887. Studied art in St. Petersburg, and in 1910 he settled in the artists quarter in Paris, where he met Modigliani and Fernand Leger.
Marc Chagall belongs to a glorious group of rebels and dreamers whose work in the early decade of the 20th century marked the beginning of a new era in the arts.
Chagall spent most of his life in France, however, he remained a distinctively Russian artist phenomenon. In a century of “total” influence, Chagall imitated no one and no one attempted to follow him. His artistic conceptions were enigmatic, the means he used in order get to the heart of things was highly original, and his dialectical approach unpredictable.
Chagall’s genius sprang from the fertile soil of his hometown of Vitebsk, was nurtured in the glow of the “Paris light”, soared against the background of the world events of his lifetime, and enriched by a deeply spiritual awareness, matured into a magnificent expression of his dreams, fantasy and poetry in images that cause even the most earthbound observer to be transported into the dizzying realm of color and form.
Chagall was truly a singular artist who remained true to his creativity and whose work defined the limitations of classification. His motivation was simply the expression of his unbridled imaginings, and the result is an oeuvre that is comprised of symbolism of feelings and emotions, in sophisticated and captivating playfulness.
The biblical stories profoundly nourished Chagall, who has furnished us with a visual version that is only related to his visionary art. He interprets them, making them his, while respecting the word of the scripture. Having forgotten the pictorial tradition that was connected with them, rejected conventional iconography and the irritating anecdotal aspect, he imparts to them youth and freshness, charm and a new force and does so in the way of a contemporary man, touching heart, mind and soul.
“For me, the bible is pure poetry, human tragedy… it fills me with visions about the faith of the world and it is inspires me… I see life and art through the wisdom of the bible“… – Marc Chagall
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