MARC CHAGALL:

THE JEWISH PICASSO?

Essay by Melanie Horton

January 2008
Historical & Contextual Referencing
HNC Graphic Design Walsall College
Tutor: Angela Woodley

CONTENTS


Introduction

page 1

Background

page 2

Influences

page 4

The Effects of War

page 7

Conclusion

page 12

Bibliography

page 13

Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

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January 2008

MARC CHAGALL, THE JEWISH PICASSO?

[1] Marc Chagall confirms his place as the most successful Jewish artist of the modern
era and probably of all time. No artist applies modern methods of painterly
communication to Jewish subject matter as adeptly, or combines modernism and
Judaism as flawlessly. If Picasso seems to us today to be the quintessential modern
artist, Chagall must be considered the preeminent Jewish modern artist.
INTRODUCTION
I have always been interested in the work by Marc Chagall. His unique style seems to
poetically tell a story rather than just represent a subject or object. His work and the
stories they tell are often of an idealistic world and create a sense of escapism for the
audience. It fascinates me how he managed to create work with such optimism, at a time
when the world around him was filled with the horrors of war.
Whilst researching the work of Chagall, I came across this extract from an online article
by Brett Rhyne in the journal The Jewish Advocate. It intrigued me how the author
identifies Chagall as being such a significant Jewish artist and the influence he may
have had due to the representations of his religion in his work. It is also interesting how
he has compared and likened Chagall to Picasso.
With these points raised, I shall investigate to what extent Chagalls Jewish heritage and
beliefs were portrayed in his work and the impact his art had on the world. I will also
compare and contrast Chagall with Picasso to establish if Chagall truly was just as
important to the development of modern art as Picasso.

[Marc Chagall: The Fiddler 1912/13

Extract from: RHYNE, B. (April 2001) The Jewish Advocate [Online Journal] Available from:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5090/is_200104/ai_n18505683
[Accessed 10th December 2007]

Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

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BACKGROUND
Marc Chagall was born Moishe Shagal, on the 7th July 1887 in Vitebsk, Eastern Russia.
He later internationalised his name for convenience in Western society.
Marc was the eldest of nine children in a close-knit Jewish family. According to Chagalls
own account in his autobiography My Life, although a very poor and simple life, it was a
happy and peaceful childhood.
Vitebsk had all the characteristics of a traditional small Jewish town in Eastern Europe at
the time known in Yiddish as a Shtetl. This included wooden houses, poverty and a
rural community who followed Orthodox Judaism.
Jews were not allowed to attend the state schools as they were considered second-class
citizens. However, Marcs mother bribed the school teacher, which offered Marc the
opportunity to escape from his rural life of poverty. He began to draw, took violin and
singing lessons and spoke Russian rather than Yiddish. Above all, he came in contact
with a world where cosmopolitan and cultural interests were valued, a lifestyle he would
never have previously experienced.
In 1907 Chagall moved to St Petersburg to continue his study of art. This was a difficult
period for him as Jewish residents required a permit to be able to live in the Capital, and
he was jailed for a brief time. He managed to obtain a permit and won a Scholarship to
the Svanseva School of Art where he studied under Leon Bakst. Bakst was the major
link with the new art forms of the West and it was through him that Chagall was
introduced to a new style of visual expression in Symbolist painting.
It was at this time he began to paint scenes of his life in Vitebsk. Chagall reflected on the
contrast between his new life in the city and his previous years in the shtetl. The
struggles he faced in the city made him reminisce of the peaceful simplicity of Vitebsk
and he illustrated this in his art.
A key work of his early
years is Birth painted in
1910. This apparently is
influenced by the birth of
Chagalls
youngest
brother. It depicts a scene,
which is part of everyday
life back in the shtetl. The
Jewish
men
are
segregated
from
the
women and they are
shown
as
onlookers,
waiting with anticipation for
the new arrival as they
crowd in the doorway and
the window. It can also be
interpreted as a symbol of
the Christian nativity with
the mother, child, wise men
Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

[Marc Chagall - Birth 1910]

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and even Joseph hiding under the bed. This painting is significant of how Chagall did not
want his art to have boundaries and by combining both Christian and Jewish symbolism
he was challenging traditional ideologies for more universal interpretation.
It is in this way that Chagall is not as devout to his faith as Brett Rhyne indicates. In
Orthodox Judaism there was an ancient ban on image making and if Chagall were strict
to his religion, he would have refrained from creating paintings that depicted elements of
Judaism. Within his work he would combine stories and symbols from the Old Testament
and New Testament of the Bible. As Judaism is concerned with the Old Testament, it is
outside the boundaries of the religion to depict scenes from the New Testament, which
are from Christianity. Although some people argue that by combining religions Chagall
was just rebelling against the tradition and domination of Christian iconography in art.
Throughout his life, Chagall looked back on his time in Vitebsk with fondness and
references to his homeland and childhood are evident throughout his work. It is possibly
Chagalls continuous use of these images, why Brett Rhyne has identified him as being
the pre-eminent Jewish Modern Artist. Some may interpret the scenes of the Shtetl as
Chagall championing the traditional Jewish lifestyle.
However, it is perhaps the hardships of war, racism and revolution that Chagall
experienced later on which are the reasons he referred back to the images of his early
years, a period when he felt most at peace. Using imagery and symbols from his
childhood in Vitebsk was possibly a form of escapism from the chaos around him. I
believe it illustrates hope that some day the world would be peaceful again, as it had
been in his formative years.

[Marc Chagall: Russian Wedding 1910]

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HNC Graphic Design

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INFLUENCES
In his early years in Russia, the Post-Impressionists such as Gauguin, were Chagalls
main influence and the development of his use of colour can be attributed to this. Leon
Bakst also introduced him to work by Henri Matisse. In Chagalls Red Nude Sitting Up,
the unconventional shades of red on the figure contrast with the black lines and green
background. This can be compared with Matisses style at the time when he was
pioneering the new movement of Fauvism. Chagall was inspired by their use of colour as
a new means of expressing emotion and adopted to the style to express his poems and
dreams in a visual form.

[Chagall: Red Nude Sitting Up, 1908]

[Matisse: Woman in a Hat, 1906]

In 1910 Chagall moved to Paris and into his first studio on Montmartre. This was the
birthplace of modern art, with new art movements emerging during this period. Chagall
immersed himself in this new artistic world and was influenced by the new people he
met.
Cubism
It was Robert Delaunay who introduced Chagall to Cubism, rather than Pablo Picasso
and Georges Braques, the founders of the movement. Delaunays wife Sonia was a
Russian painter herself and the couple became close friends with Chagall, introducing
him to the artistic community in Paris.
Picasso and Braque concerned themselves with the dissection and abstraction of
objects. They looked at the functionality of an object and represented it in geometric
shapes from different viewpoints. This did not interest Delaunay and Chagall, who were
not concerned with the mechanics of objects. For them, Cubism provided a means of
ordering their dreams, experiences, desires and visions. The Cubist style presented
Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

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Chagall with a means of expressing his ideas into simplistic forms to give structure and
logic to his work, which could be interpreted by others.

[Delaunay: Eiffel Tower, 1911]

[Chagall: I and the Village, 1911]

I and the Village dated 1911 is perhaps Chagalls most significant painting of his
influence from Cubism. His use of sliced and sectioned images shows influence from
Delaunays style (see Delaunays painting Eiffel Tower). Chagall has used geometric
shapes to break down the painting almost into a storyboard to give structure to the story
he is conveying. The transparency of the images is also a characteristic of Cubism,
which he has utilised to break down the scenes. I enjoy how Chagall has taken the key
elements of Cubism but interpreted it into his own style. There is still the use of vivid
colours, which has its derivations from Fauvism and he continues to depict images from
his traditional Jewish Village life these being represented by the animals, the buildings
in the background, milking and farming. This is different to Picassos style such as in Le
Demoiselles dAvignon where he looks to explore and interpret the physical attributes of
his subjects, Chagall has only used Cubism as a means of composition.
Unlike Picasso and his counterparts who painted from life, Chagall recalled images from
memory and created work from his imagination without emphasis on a subjects real
appearance.

Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

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[Picasso: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 1907]

[Chagall: Adam and Eve, 1912]

One of my favourite Chagall paintings from his Cubist period is Adam and Eve. For me,
this represents the true Cubist style with the two figures broken down into geometric
shapes and viewed from different angles. You can still depict that this is Adam and Eve
with the shape of the tree and the apple at he centre of the painting. Again this shows
Chagalls interest in biblical themes. I feel this painting is perhaps the most easily likened
with Picassos work.
With reference to Brett Rhynes comparison of Chagall with Picasso, he is accurate in
that the artists are alike in their adoption of the Cubist style. However, where as Picasso
pioneered and continued to develop the style throughout his career, Chagall never fully
joined the movement, instead borrowing elements to develop into his own unique style.
We could therefore agree to Rhynes quotation that Chagall was the Jewish equivalent
of Picasso because he worked in the Cubist style, but depicted scenes from the Hebrew
Bible and his Jewish village. However, if the argument is based on Chagalls use of
Cubism alone, then Rhynes comment is not supported because as previously
discussed, Chagall did not fully identify with Picassos style of Cubism and was
influenced more by Delaunay. Also, Chagalls use of Cubism was short lived and so he
is not identified as a significant Cubist artist. I must therefore explore other comparisons
between the two artists to understand where Rhyne has drawn his conclusion.

Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

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January 2008

THE EFFECTS OF WAR

In June 1914 Chagall returned to Russia on
a three months visitor visa. However, the
First World War broke out whilst he was
there which closed Russias borders and
Chagalls stay turned into 8 years. As war
commenced, Chagall was fearful of
conscription into the Czars army, as
Jewish people were often the first to be
conscripted. Unlike many of his fellow
artists who were enthusiastic at the onset
of the war, Chagall was concerned for
himself and the Jewish people. This fear is
represented in his Self-Portrait, painted just
after his return to Russia. There is a dark
expression on his face and the way he
appears to be hiding behind the plant
suggests he is afraid and apprehensive of
events to come. Military service proved
unavoidable but to avoid being sent to the
front, Chagall took work in his brother-inlaws office in St Petersburg where he
carried out administrative war duties.

[Chagall: Self Portrait, 1914]

The Bolshevik revolution was to bring

new optimism for Chagall and
according to him was the most
important event in his life. The
Bolsheviks had taken Russia out of the
war and the Jews at long last had equal
citizens rights with other Russians. At
this time Chagall painted Cemetery
Gates which at first appears to
represent sorrow and death. However,
inscribed across the gate is the Hebrew
prophecy of Ezekiel, which speaks of
rejoicing and optimism for the future.
From this we can assume that Chagall
is in fact celebrating the death of the
old Czarist regime, symbolised by the
cemetery and he is optimistic for the
future and a new beginning for Russia
and its people.
Chagall has captured the feeling of the
Jewish people in his work and this
became key to his art, particularly
during periods of war. I believe it is for
this reason that Brett Rhyne identifies

[Chagall: Cemetery Gates, 1914]

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HNC Graphic Design

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him as being significant for using modern art to communicate Jewish issues. The effects
of war and revolution greatly impacted on Chagall and he voiced his concern for the
Jewish people through his work. In this way he raised awareness of Jewish issues to the
rest of the world and is perhaps why he became such a renowned Jewish artist.
In 1931 Chagall visited Palestine, the Promised Land of the Jewish people, but his
paintings following the visit were not optimistic. Chagall was aware of events taking
place in the world around him. The Nazis had come to power in Germany and Chagall
recorded this feeling of unease in his paintings. Painted in 1933, Solitude symbolizes
the concern he has for the Jewish People. The cloaked man is interpreted from Judaism
as Ahasverus, the eternal Wandering Jew, roaming the world uncertain of his future. It is
obvious that this was Chagalls feeling for his people. The Jewish man is shown with
head in hands as if contemplating his future, whilst the Russian style buildings in the
background symbolize his homeland. There are black storm clouds looming over the
horizon, which again indicates the dangers that are menacing his people. The colours
are subdued and again emphasise the despair that Chagall is trying to portray.

[Chagall: Solitude, 1933]

In comparison, during the same period Picasso also painted in response to acts of war
and the political climate. In 1937, whilst aiding the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War,
German bombers destroyed the small town of Guernica. Picasso painted Guernica as
an emotional response to this historical event. It illustrates the suffering and horror of the
people; buildings and women are engulfed in flames, a screaming woman carries her
dead child, a fallen soldier lies in pain, and even the animals appear to be screaming in
anguish. The monochrome tones also convey a dark, bleakness to the scene, which
emphasises the sadness.
Guernica is recognised as the most important piece of art to demonstrate a reaction to
the horrors of war. It was a painting that illustrated the dark side of human nature and
described atrocities, which were taking place not just in Spain at the time, but around the
world. For this reason it captured the emotions of people all over the world.
Picasso is quoted to say, Painting was not invented to decorate houses. It is an
instrument of war for attack and defence against the enemy.
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HNC Graphic Design

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In this way Picasso and Chagall are alike as they see their art as a tool to express their
feelings towards the atrocities of war and perhaps raise public awareness to the issues.
Unlike Chagall however, Picasso does not represent religion or any particular culture in
his work, which gives it universal appeal. Chagall is focused purely on the plight of the
Jewish people and this is my understanding why Brett Rhyne calls Chagall The Jewish
Picasso. He and Picasso revolutionised how art captured the effects of war, but Chagall
represented the Jewish perspective.

[Picasso: Guernica, 1937]

In October 1937 Picasso painted

Weeping Woman which was a
continuation of a series of work on
Guernica. In contrast to Guernica,
its bright colours at first provide a
cheerful tone but on closer look, the
crumpled handkerchief at the centre of
the pieces illustrates the suffering of
the woman. Picassos cubist style of
fragmenting the handkerchief adds to
the dishevelled appearance of the
woman, to show that life is in disarray.
On the outside of the picture, there is
order and colour which shows how life
goes on but at the core there is
despair and destruction, represented
in the monochrome tones of the
handkerchief. Again Picasso is using
his art to represent the suffering of the
people.

[Picasso: Weeping Woman, 1937]

Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

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In 1938, Chagall painted White Crucifixion which was renowned as his most important
and influential piece of art and perhaps the most famous. Many compare it as the
counterpart to Picassos Guernica as it too illustrates the suffering of war. In the same
year, Kristallnacht had been carried out by the Nazis a night of vicious attacks on the
German Jewish people, which marked the onslaught of the Holocaust. Although this was
a significant event, Chagall was conscious of events, which were taking place across
Europe and the suffering that Jewish people were experiencing. In contrast to Picasso,
Chagall has not responded to or illustrated any one event, but rather expresses his
concern and fear for himself and the Jewish people.

[Chagall: White Crucifixion, 1938]

White Crucifixion causes many debates as to the symbol of the Christ by a Jewish
artist. However, I believe that Chagall utilises Christ to symbolise the suffering of the
Jewish people. Christ was the Jewish prophet and Chagall appears to be likening his
suffering on the cross to the persecution of the Jewish people. Revolutionaries appear to
be rioting in the background, a man in Nazi uniform is desecrating a synagogue, Jewish
refugees appear to be fleeing in a boat and villages are in flames. Overall, this painting
is an emotional response from Chagall to the horrors that he sees taking place. The
idyllic village scenes, which he has always portrayed, have now been destroyed and he
conveys his sadness through the depiction of the Christ looking down on the people.
The symbol of crucifixion is universally recognizable and so like Picasso, Chagall has
adopted images that people all over the world could relate to and thus raise awareness
to the events which were taking place.
Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

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Chagall is quoted in saying Will God or someone give me the power to breathe my sigh
into my canvass, the sigh of prayer and sadness, the prayer of salvation, of rebirth?
This clearly demonstrates his despair and grief for the events ongoing around him and
how like Picasso, he wanted to use his art to express his feelings with hope that by
raising awareness, they might affect change.

[Chagall: The Revolution, 1937]

Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

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CONCLUSION
In conclusion, after researching and comparing these two artists, I have a better
understanding of Brett Rhynes reasoning for terming Chagall The Jewish Picasso.
Both artists were revolutionary in the way they broke from traditional styles of art. There
are however, perhaps more contrasts between the two artists than similarities. With his
development of Cubism, Picasso pioneered a movement in modern art. Chagall on the
other hand, although he adopted elements from particular movements such as Fauvism,
Cubism and Surrealism, he was always on the fringe of these movements, preferring to
work in his own unique style.
Surrealism did not interest Picasso, as he was interested in concrete everyday reality
and through the cubist style he represented the mechanics and structure of everyday life
and objects. Instead, Chagall used elements of surrealism to demonstrate his emotions
to events and his surroundings and illustrated his dreams of an idyllic world. In this way
the artists differ greatly in their styles.
I believe where Rhyne has drawn his comparison, is in the way both artists were
influenced by the effects of war and how they used their art to protest against political
events. Picasso is seen as the most important figure in the development of modern art
because of his originality and popularity. Not only this, but Guernica is recognised
around the world as one of the most important pieces of modern art because it is a
reminder of the war of the 20th Century. Chagalls White Crucifixion is compared to
Guernica for its impact and importance, but instead is specifically focused on the plight
of the Jewish people. For this reason and perhaps this painting, Rhyne has likened
Chagall to Picasso for his importance but from the Jewish point of view.
Throughout his life and his work Chagall tried to raise awareness of the issues of the
Jewish people. In 1949 he helped set up the MRAP anti-racist NGO to combat racism
and deal with the effects of the holocaust after the war. Chagalls commitment to the
Jewish people and love of his homeland not only in his art, but also in his actions, is
perhaps why Rhyne calls Chagall the pre-eminent Jewish modern artist.
In his biography of Chagall, Franz Meyer quotes [2] Picasso stood for triumph of the
intellect, Chagall for the glory of the heart. Which I feel sums up the comparison
between the two Picassos work was revolutionary in its originality, where as Chagalls
work was significant for his ability to express his emotions.

Extract from Marc Chagall by WALTHER, I. and METZGER, R. (1987) 2006 ed. Koln: Taschen

Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Online Journals
RHYNE, B. (April 2001) The Jewish Advocate [Online Journal] Available from:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5090/is_200104/ai_n18505683
[10th December 2007]
PLANK, K. (November 4, 1987) Broken Continuities: "Night" and "White Crucifixion ,
Christian Century [Online Journal] Available from:
http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1069 [14th December 2007]
RABBI ESSERMAN, R. (June 29, 2007/Tamuz 13 5767, Volume 59, No. 41) Chagall:
Painting in Yiddish, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix Online [Online], Available:
http://www.jewishaz.com/issues/story.mv?070629+chagall [14th December 2007]
Websites
Marc Chagall, Wikipedia the free encyclopedia [Online], Available:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Chagall
Pablo Picasso, Wikipedia the free encyclopedia [Online], Available:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Picasso
Chagalls White Crucifixion, Humanities Web [Online], Available:
http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=g&p=a&a=i&ID=378
Guernica (Painting), Wikipedia the free encyclopedia [Online], Available:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernica_%28painting%29

Books
WALTHER, I. and METZGER, R. (1987) Marc Chagall 2006 ed. Koln: Taschen
MAKARIUS, M. (1986) Chagall/The Masterworks 1988 ed. London: Studio Editions Ltd
WALTHER, I. (2007) Pablo Picasso. Koln: Taschen
Image Sources
Movements in Russian Art, Russian Avant-Garde Gallery [Online], Available:
http://www.russianavantgard.com/master_04_artists_union_of_youth/mark_chagallMaster%2004.html
Olgas Gallery [Online], Available:

Melanie Horton
HNC Graphic Design

http://www.abcgallery.com

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