Chagall was born in 1887, Vitebsk, Russian Empire (now Belarus), the eldest of nine, the son of a fishing merchant. He was raised by his parents and grandfather, who instilled in him love for religion and knowledge of the Torah and folklore, themes that would reoccur in his work until his death. After studying under a local artist, Yehuda Pen, his mother, who always encouraged him as an artist, got him a place at the Society of Art supporters in St Petersburg. At the time, Jewish residents could only live in St Petersburg with a permit - as a result Chagall was jailed for a short time.
He left for Paris in 1910, where he met artists from the emerging movements of the time, such as Delaunay and Léger, in the area of Montparnasse. Chagall always stressed the importance of his time in Paris, "In Paris, it seems to me, I have found everything, but above all, the art of craftsmanship. I owe all that I have achieved to Paris, to France, whose nature, men, the very air, were the true school of my life and art." His exposure to cubist work resulted in his attempts to incorporate the multi-viewpoints and geometric shapes of Cubism into his early works.
In 1912 Chagall exhibited at the Salon des Independants and Salon d' Automne in Paris, in 1913 he participated in the Target exhibition and in 1914 had his first one-man show at the Galerie der Sturm in Berlin.
He returned to Vitebsk in 1914 to marry his fiancée of 12 years, Bella Rosenfeld, and after his marriage he became an active participant in the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was appointed a Commissioner for Fine Art, but left after two years for Moscow, where he worked in the Jewish Theatre, and then in Berlin where he studied the art of engraving.
He returned to Paris in 1923, where he illustrated Gogol's "Dead Souls", La Fontaine's "Fables" and the Bible. Breton tried to claim Chagall for Surrealism, but like most movements, Chagall flirted with aspects of it, rather than embracing it fully. Colour dominated his compositions, his pieces combined reality and the imagination. He created his own kind of symbolism using characters and images from folklore and the Torah. His medium spread from canvas to ceramics, sculpture and stained glass.
In 1944 his wife died from an illness; her death stopped him from being able to properly work for months. When he returned to Paris in 1948 he met Valentine ("Vava") Brodskii, whom he married two years later. Like Bella she encouraged his work and helped him to undertake large artistic projects, like the "Biblical Cycle" in Nice in 1973.
He absorbed the influences around him into his works, from his Jewish faith and the folk stories of his upbringing to the art he found around him, from Millet and Daumier to the colour of the Fauves. As a colourist he was loved the vision of the Cubist Delaunay and the luminists of the Section d'Or. He died in 1985, at the age of 97. Three years later, on the centenary of his birth, a large exhibition opened at Pushkin Museum in Moscow, and a Chagall Museum was opened in Vitebsk.
He left for Paris in 1910, where he met artists from the emerging movements of the time, such as Delaunay and Léger, in the area of Montparnasse. Chagall always stressed the importance of his time in Paris, "In Paris, it seems to me, I have found everything, but above all, the art of craftsmanship. I owe all that I have achieved to Paris, to France, whose nature, men, the very air, were the true school of my life and art." His exposure to cubist work resulted in his attempts to incorporate the multi-viewpoints and geometric shapes of Cubism into his early works.
In 1912 Chagall exhibited at the Salon des Independants and Salon d' Automne in Paris, in 1913 he participated in the Target exhibition and in 1914 had his first one-man show at the Galerie der Sturm in Berlin.
He returned to Vitebsk in 1914 to marry his fiancée of 12 years, Bella Rosenfeld, and after his marriage he became an active participant in the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was appointed a Commissioner for Fine Art, but left after two years for Moscow, where he worked in the Jewish Theatre, and then in Berlin where he studied the art of engraving.
He returned to Paris in 1923, where he illustrated Gogol's "Dead Souls", La Fontaine's "Fables" and the Bible. Breton tried to claim Chagall for Surrealism, but like most movements, Chagall flirted with aspects of it, rather than embracing it fully. Colour dominated his compositions, his pieces combined reality and the imagination. He created his own kind of symbolism using characters and images from folklore and the Torah. His medium spread from canvas to ceramics, sculpture and stained glass.
In 1944 his wife died from an illness; her death stopped him from being able to properly work for months. When he returned to Paris in 1948 he met Valentine ("Vava") Brodskii, whom he married two years later. Like Bella she encouraged his work and helped him to undertake large artistic projects, like the "Biblical Cycle" in Nice in 1973.
He absorbed the influences around him into his works, from his Jewish faith and the folk stories of his upbringing to the art he found around him, from Millet and Daumier to the colour of the Fauves. As a colourist he was loved the vision of the Cubist Delaunay and the luminists of the Section d'Or. He died in 1985, at the age of 97. Three years later, on the centenary of his birth, a large exhibition opened at Pushkin Museum in Moscow, and a Chagall Museum was opened in Vitebsk.
