7 July is the 125th birth anniversary of Marc Chagall, the artist.
He was born in Liozno, in the region of Vitebsk in Belarus, which was part of Russia at this time . He later moved to Paris, France in 1921. His paintings are immediately recognisable, combining a modernist, almost naive and mystic hassidic style enriched with vivid colours.
His work was informed by his life growing up in the shtetl in the Pale of Settlement and also by the famous biblical stories he learnt in the village Jewish school. Again and again he returns to the characters who made up part of this daily life – the newspaper seller, the young married couple, the fiddler on the roof, horse and cow, the Jewish Theatre, circus musicians, Moses and the adoration of the Golden Calf, Lovers at the Bridge, Newlyweds and the violinst.
Contact Lebrecht at pictures@lebrecht.co.uk to view a lightbox of these wonderful Chagall paintings.
Marc Chagall photographed in 1973 at his home in St Paul de Vence
© Suzie Maeder/Lebrecht Music & Arts
