Case Study, Marc Chagall
Discuss how the environment and other influences, for example personal beliefs, have shaped the work of at least one artist you have studied this year. Refer to work done by this artist to substantiate your statements.
Marc Chagall was a Russian/French artist who was born into a poor family of Hassidic Jews on the 7th July 1887. Throughout his working life he was based in Russia from 1906-1910, then he moved to France for four more years before moving back to Russia and Soviet Belarus for eight years. Chagall was strongly influenced, but not limited to, movements such as Cubism, Fauvism and Surrealism. These movements are demonstrated in his work through the geometric shapes, his use of colour and the seemingly random placement of people and objects in his works. Chagall described his work as, “… extravagant art, a flaming vermillion, a blue soul flooding over my paintings.” Chagall’s childhood in the small country town of Vitebsk, Belarus was happy and is another influence for his artworks. Small provincial ghettos are presented in some way in many of his artworks. Chagall said that, “The soil that nourished the roots of my art was Vitebsk”. Many childhood memories are presented in his artworks. His religion is also another large influence fore Chagall, many of his paintings include Jewish symbolism and refer to Judaism.
There were limited opportunities to study art in Vitebsk and after an argument with his father; he moved to St Petersburg to study, he lived quite a risky and independent life. Shortly after, he moved to Paris where he met friends, Robert and Sonia Delauney. They were very influential to his style- predominantly in Chagall’s use of colour and in his cubist technique. While living in the poverty areas of Paris, he lightened his palette and his use of colour became more harmonious and unified. This is the palette that creates the basis for some of his well known works such as “I and the Village” (1911), “The Green Violinist” (1923-24), and
Marc Chagall was a Russian/French artist who was born into a poor family of Hassidic Jews on the 7th July 1887. Throughout his working life he was based in Russia from 1906-1910, then he moved to France for four more years before moving back to Russia and Soviet Belarus for eight years. Chagall was strongly influenced, but not limited to, movements such as Cubism, Fauvism and Surrealism. These movements are demonstrated in his work through the geometric shapes, his use of colour and the seemingly random placement of people and objects in his works. Chagall described his work as, “… extravagant art, a flaming vermillion, a blue soul flooding over my paintings.” Chagall’s childhood in the small country town of Vitebsk, Belarus was happy and is another influence for his artworks. Small provincial ghettos are presented in some way in many of his artworks. Chagall said that, “The soil that nourished the roots of my art was Vitebsk”. Many childhood memories are presented in his artworks. His religion is also another large influence fore Chagall, many of his paintings include Jewish symbolism and refer to Judaism.
There were limited opportunities to study art in Vitebsk and after an argument with his father; he moved to St Petersburg to study, he lived quite a risky and independent life. Shortly after, he moved to Paris where he met friends, Robert and Sonia Delauney. They were very influential to his style- predominantly in Chagall’s use of colour and in his cubist technique. While living in the poverty areas of Paris, he lightened his palette and his use of colour became more harmonious and unified. This is the palette that creates the basis for some of his well known works such as “I and the Village” (1911), “The Green Violinist” (1923-24), and
Bibliography: * Chagall 2012, , accessed 10 august 2012, <htp://www.theartgallery.com.au/arteducation/greatartists/chagall/about/>. * Cole, S 2009, Biography: Marc Chagall, , accessed 31st August 2012, <Biography: Marc Chagall 2009, , accessed 31st August 2012, .>. * Marc Chagall. Solitude. 1933. Oil on canvas. 102 x 169. Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv, Israel 2012, , accessed 21 August 2012, <http://www.abcgallery.com/C/chagall/chagall96.html>. * “Solitude” by Marc Chagall 2012, , accessed 04 September 2012, <http://www.hermitary.com/thatch/?p=295>.