Marc Chagall

Russian and French modernist artist known for vibrant, folkloric depictions of Jewish life.

Chronology: 1887-06-24 – 1985-03-28

Origins & Early Life

Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; 6 July [O.S. 24 June] 1887 – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist of Jewish ancestry. An early modernist, he was associated with the École de Paris, as well as several major artistic styles and created works in a wide range of artistic formats, including painting, drawings, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramics, tapestries and fine art prints. Chagall was born in 1887, into a Jewish family near Vitebsk, today in Belarus, but at that time in the Pale of Settlement of the Russian Empire.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Before World War I, he travelled between Saint Petersburg, Paris, and Berlin. During that period, he created his own mixture and style of modern art, based on his ideas of Eastern European and Jewish folklore. He spent the wartime years in Vitebsk and Petrograd, becoming one of the Russia's most distinguished artists and a member of the modernist avant-garde, founding the Vitebsk Museum of Modern Art and People's Art School. He later worked in and near Moscow in difficult conditions during hard times in Russia following the Bolshevik Revolution, before leaving again for Paris in 1923. During World War II, he escaped occupied France to the United...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Source: Wikipedia