Marc Chagall (Jewish Encounters)

Book Description

Novelist and critic Jonathan Wilson clears away the sentimental mists surrounding an artist whose career spanned two world wars, the Russian Revolution, the Holocaust, and the birth of the State of Israel. Marc Chagall’s work addresses these transforming events, but his ambivalence about his role as a Jewish artist adds an intriguing wrinkle to common assumptions about his life. Drawn to sacred subject matter, Chagall remains defiantly secular in outlook; determined to “narrate” the miraculous and tragic events of the Jewish past, he frequently chooses Jesus as a symbol of martyrdom and sacrifice.

Wilson brilliantly demonstrates how Marc Chagall’s life constitutes a grand canvas on which much of twentieth-century Jewish history is vividly portrayed. Chagall left Belorussia for Paris in 1910, at the dawn of modernism, looking back dreamily on the world he abandoned. After his marriage to Bella Rosenfeld in 1915, he moved to Petrograd, but eventually returned to Paris after a stint as a Soviet commissar for art. Fleeing Paris steps ahead of the Nazis, Chagall arrived in New York in 1941. Drawn to Israel, but not enough to live there, Chagall grappled endlessly with both a nostalgic attachment to a vanished past and the magnetic pull of an uninhibited secular present.

Wilson’s portrait of Chagall is altogether more historical, more political, and edgier than conventional wisdom would have us believe–showing us how Chagall is the emblematic Jewish artist of the twentieth century.

Visit nextbook.org/chagall for a virtual museum of Chagall images.

Customer Reviews:

Marc Chagall.......2007-05-13

This has made a fascinating artist even more interesting; and you can understand the impact of his life on his technique!

Icon of Modernism.......2007-04-14

The reader turns the first page of this little book to see the 1929 oil on canvas painting, "Lovers" by Marc Chagall. The painting depicts a man and woman seated and embracing; the woman's head turned inward on the man's breast, while the man, an expression of calm and contentment, peers upward, watching a winged angel flying overhead, across a deep purple sky. The painting has the deep and rich signature colour of all Chagall's work, though lacks the intense emotional suffering and ambivalence that makes up so much of his oeuvre, however this painting evokes a mystical love, a true love which, in my opinion, expresses the relationship between the artist and his beautiful wife, Bella.

As part of the Jewish Encounter project, Marc Chagall by Jonathan Wilson is one contribution devoted to the promotion of Jewish literature, culture, and ideas. (One can find all these contributions here on Amazon.)

It can be observed that most of Chagall's work, according to the author, is an expression of his philosophy, his religious sensibility if you will, in the form of the "literalization of metaphors", deeply grounded in the mystical and symbolic Hasidic world and Yiddish folktales, which include in their writings the "repository of flying animals and miraculous events." (P. 13)

It is impossible to label Chagall's work as "Expressionism", but the representation of an acute imagination, coloured in fantasy, depicting highly charged religious symbols, including in several works, Christs Crucifixion in a variety of contexts. What I love about Chagall is the viewer is drawn into the work by its striking colour and busy subject matter and is compelled to study it, because the meaning of the painting must be discovered as it is not apparent on a superficial viewing.

Wilson does a wonderful job of narrating Chagall's life in terms of the major events that the artist experienced, spanning through the Russian revolution, two world wars, the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel. Wilson suggests that in viewing Chagall's paintings against the backdrop of these major historical events will see the artist's work as a response to them, and his personal inner conflict between his "Jewishness" and his focus on Christ's Crucifixion, and also his attempt at secularism in many of his paintings.

My favourite paintings by the artist are his various representations of love that display an ethereal, mystical quality, a sublimeness that to me captures love in their most revealing forms, as Wilson comments,

"Chagall's vision of love, so appealing to the human soul, frequently involves a merging of two faces, or bodies, into one. In this regard he is Platonic, as his figures pursue their other halves in an apparent longing to become whole again. Over and again he paints the myth that Aristophanes recounts in The Symposium." (P.174)

Chagall's life Wilson suggests was an attempt through his art at the reconciliation between two worlds, a genuine effort universalizing or merging opposites, he writes,

"In his paintings, past and present, dream and reality, rabbi and clown, secular and observant, revolutionary and Jew, Jesus and Elijah...all commingle and merge in a world where history and geography but also the laws of physics and nature have been suspended." (P. 210)

Wilson's Marc Chagall is an erudite biography and insightful critical work. Although relatively short in length, manages to capture the artist who is considered along with Picasso and Matisse, one of the icons of Modernism.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful introduction

Marc Chagall
Jean-Michel Foray , and Jakov Bruk
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810946211

Book Description

Marc Chagall is one of the 20th century's favorite artists, known and admired for his rich palette, his inventive approach, his accessible subjects, and the deep traditions behind his work. Combining fantasy, spirituality, and nostalgia with a distinctive modern painting style, Chagall's canvases are infused with a joyous, dreamlike simplicity. Even as styles shifted from Cubism to Suprematism to Surrealism, his work remained individual and idiosyncratic-sometimes harming his art world reputation, but never his popular appeal.

Marc Chagall is the first full-scale survey of the artist's work in almost 20 years. The lush color reproductions include some 60 paintings and 80 works on paper. An introductory essay by Jean-Michel Foray contextualizes the Russian-born artist's work, while a heavily illustrated chronology of Chagall's life-put together by his granddaughter and Jakov Bruk-details the many stages of his career. The work is organized into four sections, each with an introduction by Foray, to help make sense of his prodigious oeuvre. The beautifully designed volume accompanies a major retrospective at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful introduction.......2007-09-04

It's hardly a catalogue raisonné, but there's plenty to enjoy here. After about 20 pages of introductory essays, we get another 35 or so that sketch Chagall's life, from his early career until his death in 1985. The next 160 pages, roughly, reprint paintings from many parts of his career. Each page is self-contained, either a good-sized, gorgeous reproduction or a short essay on the painting across the fold.

Printing is impeccable. Colors are saturated and dense, on paper that's coated but glare-free, bright, and opaque. It's all you could look for in an art book.

One might ask more in a book of Chagall's art, though. This focuses on his paintings, omitting his wonderful lithos, including the series for Daphnis And Chloe. And, among the paintings presented, chronological order is sketchy at best. It's not always an improvement when an editor imposes some new order on an artist's work, after the artist's own life has already done so. Well, maybe that's why I found this recent book on the discount table. The artwork has so captivated me that I have not yet paid much attention to the text. The little I've seen looks helpful and interesting, though. I expect that Chagall scholars have better resources, but as a casual viewer interested in this artist's varied body of work, I enjoy this hefty collection of gorgeous reproductions.

-- wiredweird

Average customer rating:

Short, but still very sweet
It's a sticker book
The most wonderful book about Chagall
Fabulous book!
Beautiful!

Marc Chagall: 1887-1985 (Big Art)
Jacob Baal-Teshuva , and Marc Chagall
Manufacturer: Benedikt Taschen Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3822882712

Amazon.com

Henry Miller once described Marc Chagall as a "poet with the wings of a painter." The pages of Chagall are filled with images that prove the writer's words true. Though Chagall is remembered primarily as a painter, his artistic vision expressed itself in many other forms, including sculpture, mosaics, and the stained glass windows that grace the Art Institute of Chicago as well as synagogues and churches in both Europe and the United States. The volume affords readers glimpses of his profligate work as well as the opportunity to follow Chagall as he moved from his early years in Russia to Paris, the United States, and back to France. During that time, his painting flirted with the various art movements around him--surrealism and fauvism most notably--but his dominant themes remained constant throughout the seven decades that he made art. Chagall's mysticism, his deep religious sentiment, and his playfulness are revealed in the hundreds of full-color images lushly reproduced in this volume. The commentary provided by Chagall scholar and friend Jacob Baal-Teshuva expertly guides readers through the artist's various moods and media and underscores the passion of belief and feeling that informed all of his artwork.

Book Description

This complete record of Marc Chagall's art spans his early work in Russia and the monumental pieces of his old age. Page after page of rich reproductions capture his use of intense, glowing colors and the unique world he created full of magic, enchantment, and fantasy.

Customer Reviews:

Short, but still very sweet.......2005-04-01

This book collects some of Chagall's works, mostly paintings, but also mosaics, stained glass windows, and the ceiling of the Paris opera (stunning), into sections describing different parts of his life and career.

The text was intersting and illuminating in very few words, which was good, because that left more room for full-color plates of Chagall's brilliant works! I could just stare at each one for many minutes and get more out of it with each minute! The man was a genius. And the plates are pretty high-quality, so it's easy to really enjoy them.

The only reason I did not give this book five stars was I thought it was a little short, considering the scope of Chagall's work. It would be difficult, indeed, to produce a book that would be completely comprehensive, and maybe the author had a page limitation because of the series he was writing for, but I sure would have liked to see more works presented.

I have some other books on Chagall in the queue: one on watercolors and gouaches, and two books of lithographs. I'll report back on those once I've read and gazed at them.

It's a sticker book.......2000-12-08

I'm not sure what this other reviewer is talking about, it has to be for another book and it ended up here. This isn't really a "book" it's just a bunch of stickers. They're nice stickers though - little reproductions of some of Chagall's artwork. Pretty high-quality as far as stickers go.

The most wonderful book about Chagall.......2000-04-26

This is the most wonderful book about Chagall I've ever seen. The colorful and beautiful illustrations made me so exciting. The colors are fantastic compared with other books about Chagall. I recommend this book for any Chagall fan confidently. Though it has something to be desired because of being written in Spanish instead of English, this is only for you!

Fabulous book!.......1999-12-10

This is an extraordinary book for every Chagall fan. The quality of illustrations is just wonderful, and if you had only one book to buy on Chagall, this is the one! Don't worry, its not heavy at all; in fact, I would have added more and more pages of never-been-seen work of this incredible artist. The illustrations are colorful, vivid and beautiful, and the biography is very well written and complete. Strongly recommended!

Beautiful!.......1999-10-04

a little heavy. but a should-have for any chagall fan

Chagall's World: Reflections from the Mediterranean

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Chagall's World: Reflections from the Mediterranean
Andre Verdet
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385193246
Release Date: 1984-09-05

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One Of Those Books
A lyric story of the artist's youth
Evocative Word-Pictures
Marc Chagall, the poetry of reality.

My Life
Marc Chagall
Manufacturer: Da Capo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0306805715

Customer Reviews:

One Of Those Books.......2007-06-01

One may hear this many times about Marc Chagall's autobiography My Life but it truly is pure poetry. Reading this book I found I didn't have to think at all. His words just sank into my head. He writes about his childhood and the difficulties growing up poor while struggling to make it as an artist. Every word seems to throw you directly into his very thoughts and feelings as he describes his memories growing up. It's a book I would not expect to come from a man whose voice is heard mainly through his paintings. While it's a delightful treat for his fans, it is also an excellent and inspirational read for those who intend to pursue their own love for the arts. Pictures of his artwork are printed throughout the book lending to it, a part of Chagall that many people know and love him for. But in this piece of artwork it's his words not his paintings that are absolutely captivating.

A lyric story of the artist's youth .......2005-01-09

This small autobiography is a poetic inspiring work. It tells of Chagall's childhood in Vitebsk and his first youthful efforts as an artist. And it also contains within it the great love story of Chagall's life with his first wife Bella. Chagall writes with intensity and strength much the way he paints. The difficulty of his early years is somehow transcended by his devotion to his artistic vocation. This is a recommended work for all those who care about the relation of the artist to his life, and of the creator of great beauty to his artistic task.

Evocative Word-Pictures.......2002-12-18

MY LIFE is unlike any other autobiography I've read. Who would have thought of Chagall as a poet? As a master of word pictures? There is not a dry, boring sentence in the entire book. Instead, Chagall paints verbal pictures of his youth, his family, his struggles to become an artist. It's must reading for anyone who aspires to remain an artist (painter, writer, dancer . . .). Although the book reads very, very quickly, the poignant feelings it evokes cannot end so quickly. I am haunted by Chagall's painful youth-the poverty, the discouragement he received from many quarters. And yet the autobiography is inspirational, because as a writer, I know that one cannot let go of an unshakable faith in one's calling.

Marc Chagall, the poetry of reality........2000-05-13

This book is an autobiography by Marc Chagall himself. Its a wonderful exploration of Chagall's jewish-russian memories of his beloved village Vitebsk and of his first encounters with the avant-garde in the Paris of the early 20th century. Its a good example of Chagall's sensitivity and of his spirituality. It should be a highly readable book for it is full of poetry, phantasy and hope. At the same time, the reader will be able to meet one the 20th century leading colorists.

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Erotic, tender, and romantic ancient tale with incredible illustrations by Marc Chagall
A delightful tale
Implausible and ludicrous - just like true love
Sheer, unadulterated bliss.
The Ancient Pastoral Romance

Daphnis and Chloe (Pegasus Library)
Longus , and Marc Chagall
Manufacturer: Prestel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3791313738

Book Description

Inspired by a journey through Greece, Marc Chagall, one of the 20th century's most popular painters, created a series of lithographs that brought new life to this ancient Greek love story - the first pastoral romance.

Customer Reviews:

Erotic, tender, and romantic ancient tale with incredible illustrations by Marc Chagall.......2006-08-26

"Daphnis and Chloe" is one of the best known early Greek romances, precursors to the modern novel. Admired by Goethe, it has been reinterpreted in music and art by Ravel and Chagall.
Written by Longus in the second century A.D, it is a classical romance involving the adventures of two foundling children raised by adopted parents who are humble shepherds in the idyllic setting of the Isle of Lesbos. It is a famous love story that captures the awakening of a first love between two teenagers who don't know what is happening to them. The novel that is written almost two thousands years ago is surprisingly modern; it is erotic, tender, romantic, sensual, and simply beautiful. When I read it first time many years ago (I was very much into the ancient art, literature, history, and philosophy), I asked myself why the literature and art did not stop right there and then - nothing better could be possibly done. It is not true, of course but it was one of the rare moments that you'd like to capture and cherish forever. Last month while visiting the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, I bought a miniature book that includes a suite of 42 Lithographs created by Marc Chagall (1887-1985) to illustrate "Daphnis and Chloe". Chagall's visual interpretation of the Greek pastoral romance of the 2nd (or 3rd) century AD is unique and unforgettable. Even if you don't like Chagall's style, you will not be able to forget it. With his 42 Lithographs, Chagall created a monument to both, Longus and himself. "Daphnis and Chloe" is known as one of the great illustrated books of our time.

A delightful tale.......2004-02-01

The story dates from classical Greece. After two thousand years, the story is still fresh and charming - the sign of a true classic. It's about young love, eager and inept, with gods, pirates, and other harmless excitement. The writer included the happy fumblings of physical affection that a modern author would have shied from, sweet and not at all salacious. The story finishes with an improbable and triumphantly happy ending. Good happy fun, and not a lengthy read.

Beyond the story itself, I found this book very informative. The story is supposedly one that Shakespeare read, and it shows. Some of the Bard's endings look a bit recycled once you've read Daphnis and Chloe. I also found that it explained Marc Chagall's cycle of lithographs - the images make more sense, now that I've seen their inspiration. In addition, there's satisfaction in knowing that this story, with such influence on such great minds, and is now a part of my education, too.

All that was extra reward, though. I wanted the book because Chagall's illustration. It's there, in dozens of beautiful color reproductions, including some two-page spreads. Up til now, Marc Chagall has always been in the lower ranks among my favorite artists. After seeing his work in this book, I have a new respect for it. He's still not among my very favorites, but I enjoy the lithos shown here. Even more, I enjoy them as a coherent body visual work and as a narrative.

Best, though, is quality of this book for its price. It's well printed on heavy stock, and the color printing is strong and nuanced. The production values in the color pages and the sheer number of them are quite astonishing for a book that costs so little. I plan to enjoy this book for a long time.

Implausible and ludicrous - just like true love.......2003-08-10

"Charming" and "Idyllic" are two words you'll meet often when reading reviews of this ancient tale. And certainly it is both those things. It is the best known and best loved of the "Erotici Graeci", or Greek love stories, that date from the early centuries of the Common Era. It is characteristic of the genre, featuring as it does pirates, supernatural events and some highly implausible plot elements.

The Penguin Classics edition has an excellent translation, introduction and notes by Paul Turner.

The story includes the curious conceit, common in folk tales, that an infant of aristocratic parentage, raised by peasants, will grow up exhibiting all the innate qualities of nobility, like cuckoo chicks raised in another bird's nest. Nature is all; nurture is nothing. This idea can be found in literature until at least late in the nineteenth century. To (most) modern readers it seems ludicrous. In comparison, the belief in Pan and the Muses appears quite reasonable.

Historians and archeologists can tell us much about ancient civilizations, except for the most interesting thing of all; what were these people really like? Novels, drama and poetry give us glimpses into their very hearts and minds. We learn about their relationships between each other and between themselves and their gods. Sometimes we wonder at how alien and strange they appear; at others we are struck at how much like us - like people always, everywhere - they are. Some things never change. Among them are the pains and joys of young love. For as long as there are young lovers, there will be "Daphnis and Chloe".

Sheer, unadulterated bliss........2001-05-10

Man...Daphnis and Chloe. Surely, this is one of the Best Things Ever. An utterly gorgeous evocation of innocent, sweetly naive pastoral life. I honestly can't think of a single work of literature I've enjoyed more. It's short, but richly deserving of multiple readings. If you're not capable of enjoying it, I don't want to know you. It is truly Great, capital 'G'. However, in the interest of objectivity, I should note that there is one thing about it that somewhat irks me: in the end, the title characters are revealed to by of noble birth. That's not a spoiler; you know it right from the get-go. So, while it was inevitable, it just didn't quite work for me. I would have liked to see them go on in idyllic splendour (note the British spelling) forever.

That, however, is a minor quibble. You must read this. It could even save your life: let's say you've read it, and then, sometime later, for whatever reason, you decide to commit suicide. You'd be very likely to think, at some point, 'hey, wait a minute--I can't die now; I need to reread Daphnis and Chloe!' So then you'd turn the engine off, and after you finished your rereading, you'd realize, 'hey--life is GOOD! What was I thinking?' And you'd be right. Something like this couldn't exist if the world wasn't in some sense fundamentally good.

The Ancient Pastoral Romance.......2000-10-13

Longus's ancient novel, "Daphnis and Chloe" tells the absolutely charming story of a boy (Daphnis) and a girl (Chloe), left to die by exposure in the Greek countryside. Miraculously, the deities are watching out for them--a goat is selected to nurse Daphnis, and a sheep to nurse Chloe--until a goatherd, Lamo, and a shepherd, Dryas, respectively discover the two children. They are raised in the town of Mytilene, a humble agricultural community, where they tend their adopted fathers's herds of goats and sheep.

Here, the mischievous god of love, Eros, sets them aflame with love for each other. Both Daphnis and Chloe are extremely innocent in their affections throughout the novel, experimenting with their feelings and exposing the amusing limits of their little knowledge. Various incidents involving pirates, kidnapping, inter-city war between Mytilene and Methymna, and the suit of Chloe by a host of lusty young men all provide interesting diversions from the main love story. With a very casual cultural attitude towards homoerotic love, we also see the impertinent male slave, Gnatho, make advances toward the clueless Daphnis. Daphnis's run-in with Lycaenium, a married woman of Mytilene, is also an episode of note in the complex sexual landscape of Longus's novel.

Another intriguing factor in Longus's novel is the relationship between humanity and nature. The figure of the goat is omnipresent throughout the novel. Standing apart from our own cultural/religious associations with the goat, in "Daphnis and Chloe," the goat is all at once associated with maternity, reverence, respect, and honesty. In the novel, we see humanity in general in harmony with the natural world all around: plant, beast, and natural divinities.

Into this seemingly innocent landscape, Longus introduces the problematics of class and wealth. The love story between Daphnis and Chloe is further stalled while these issues play themselves out. Society's intrusion into the pastoral story seems to indicate the fantastic nature of the idyll itself. "Daphnis and Chloe" is a brilliant and beautiful ancient tale, and well worth the short time it takes to read.

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Dreamer...

A perfect biography for kids to read

Marc Chagall

A 2006 Notable Children's Book of Jewish Content

Dreamer from the Village: The Story of Marc Chagall
Michelle Markel
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Kibitzers and Fools

ASIN: 0805063730
Release Date: 2005-07-14

Book Description

n the imagination of Marc Chagall, all of life was an inspiration for the beautiful and strange pictures he created. He painted people, farm animals, religious symbols, visions, and feelings in a way no other artist had attempted. With vivid prose and exuberant illustrations this book chronicles the life of Marc Chagall-born to a humble Jewish family in a Russian ghetto-who became one of the most celebrated artists of the twentieth century.

Customer Reviews:

Dreamer..........2007-02-08

This lovely book is a delightful introduction for children to the life of Marc Chagall. The vibrancy of the gorgeous illustrations (in Chagall style, of course) paired with the simple and charming text, make this a sure winner. Chagall's Jewish roots are lovingly portrayed; from his first days in heder, to the holidays he celebrated with his family. For example, here is the entire text from a vibrant double page spread of his family observing Passover: "The seasons brought wondrous holidays. On Passover, Marc loved the colorful pictures in the Haggadah. He loved the deep violet of the wine in his father's glass. And when he opened the door for the prophet Elijah, silver stars trembled on a velvet spring sky." The illustrations exude a domestic tranquility and beauty and even the choice of typeface for the text is appealing in its simplicity. The reader eventually finds out why Chagall is so unusual: "Marc knew he was different from other boys. He saw things they didn't see. On the Sabbath, enchanted by the singing of prayers, Marc saw houses floating." Chagall's devout family regards image making as a sin, but Marc goes to art school and eventually ends up in Paris after World War II. At the age of 90 he gets his own exhibition at the Louvre--one of the very few living artists to be honored in such a way. You don't have to love art to love this book.
Reviewed by Lisa Silverman

A perfect biography for kids to read.......2006-08-01

This books accomplishes A LOT! The author has tailored Chagall's story to embrace his experience as a child who doesn't see things as "normal" people do. Any child that has experienced being different will relate. The illustrations beautifully capture Chagall's style and do a great job in preparing children for appreciating his art.

Marc Chagall.......2006-03-18

I use this book when presenting the artwork "I and the Village" to 4th grade students. I really gives life to my speech and shows the children in vivid color the life of this wonderful artist.

A 2006 Notable Children's Book of Jewish Content.......2006-03-15

This picture book biography offers a dreamy, almost surreal text accompanied, of course, by Chagall-inspired pictures. The style suits the subject matter well, turning the book into a cross between a biography and a tribute. While it may not be the most useful book for reports, it certainly conveys the personality of Chagall very well and is more likely than a straight biography to get readers interested in the artist's life and work. An endnote provides some more solid facts and historical context, as well as an actual example of Chagall's art. Judaism was prominent in Chagall's life and work, and is thus woven into both text and illustrations of this biography.

This book was named a 2006 Notable Children's Book of Jewish Content by the Association of Jewish Libraries.

To hear a review of this book by a pair of talented third graders, listen to the podcast The Book of Life at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com (February 2006 episode).

Marc Chagall 1887-1985: Painting As Poetry (Basic Series : Art)

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The happy painter of images!
The painting made poetry!

Marc Chagall 1887-1985: Painting As Poetry (Basic Series : Art)
Ingo F. Walther , Rainer Metzger , and Marc Chagall
Manufacturer: Benedikt Taschen Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 382280567X

Book Description

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) epitomized the "painter as poet" with work that was steeped in mythology and mysticism, portraying colorful dreams and folktales deeply rooted in his Russian Jewish origins. No 20th-century artist approached him in popularity, and the full range of his work is on display in this richly illustrated Spanish-language entry in the Basic Art series celebrating major artists.

Customer Reviews:

The happy painter of images!.......2006-05-09

His muse was Bella. He celebrated every anniversary of his wedding with a picture in which he and her appeared.

"The inner world is perhaps, more real than the visible world.", affirmed once.

Almost all his work have consisted in love pictures, sinuous fantasies that seemed to disorient the spectator, where birds, quadrupeds and fishes join to a Ode to Joy. His chosen colors acquire vivid tunes of the rainbow; with them variegates details such tress curdled with exotic flowers, a horse that plays a violin, hen' s eggs inside a gold' s nestle, or a cow that jumps on the ceiling of a house.

You will also see, the his famous etched plates to illustrate the Bible as well as his famous pictorial motive on the roof of Paris Opera.

This detailed and splendid biography has everything you request. "The three candles" has always been one of my favorites works of this notable artist.

It' s pleasantly illustrated with abundant information and wonderful reproductions. Go for it without dilation.

The painting made poetry!.......2005-04-17

The first little detail that called me powerfully my attention was the his birth date: July 7, just twenty seven years after Mahler's birthday. He was a poet, an individualist, and a lonely artist. Absolutely divorced from this almost genetic standpoint to follow the road about the traditional slave art's autarchy, however, he will always maintain the essential roots of his Jewish ancestors. The vanishing perspectives of the most of his works would seem a dreamy pattern, challenging and daring all kind of conventionalism.

"It must no paint pictures with symbols. When an artwork is really authentic, exist by themselves symbolism in it". That sharp reflection is so narrowed linked with a Robert Bresson 's statement: "Let the facts lead to the feelings and not vice versa"

Consider his most famous painting: The three candles, where the lovers couple defy not only the gravity 's acceleration, but are by themselves a real breakthrough with the oppressed human beings. The sad harlequin and the tragic red, the couple is just so far from being happy, they weep the invisible presence of the implacable menace. There' s an incisive line in Fassbinder' s Maria Braun in which she says in imperceptibly to her sister: "All the happy persons seem to be some vulgar, when one is unhappy".

Particularly interesting are the mythic cycle between 1975 and 1977 with those admirable motives. Icaro and Orpheus' myth.
Admirably investigative work and abundant in excellent reproductions of the most selective work of this singular painter.

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Marc Chagall on Art and Culture
Benjamin Harshav
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0804748314
Release Date: 2003-07-11

Book Description

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) traversed a long route from a boy in the Jewish Pale of Settlement, to a commissar of art in revolutionary Russia, to the position of a world-famous French artist. This book presents for the first time a comprehensive collection of Chagall’s public statements on art and culture. The documents and interviews shed light on his rich, versatile, and enigmatic art from within his own mental world. The book raises the problems of a multi-cultural artist with several intersecting identities and the tensions between modernist form and cultural representation in twentieth-century art. It reveals the travails and achievements of his life as a Jew in the twentieth century and his perennial concerns with Jewish identity and destiny, Yiddish literature, and the state of Israel. This collection includes annotations and introductions of the Chagall texts by the renowned scholar Benjamin Harshav that elucidate the texts and convey the changing cultural contexts of Chagall’s life. Also featured is the translation by Benjamin and Barbara Harshav of the first book about Chagall’s work, the 1918 Russian The Art of Marc Chagall.

Marc Chagall: What Colour Is Paradise? (Adventures in Art)

Average customer rating:

Wonderful introduction for older children

Marc Chagall: What Colour Is Paradise? (Adventures in Art)
Marc Chagall , Thomas David , and Elisabeth Lemke
Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 3791323938

Book Description

What color is Paradise? This and other intriguing questions are answered in this delightful look at Chagall's brightly-colored biblical paintings. For Chagall, God was present in all people and all things. In his paintings he therefore mixed together the story of the Bible and the everyday world like the colors in his palette. His great paintings such as the Creation of Man, Paradise and Noah's Ark invite young and old alike to get to know the most beautiful stories of the Book of Genesis.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful introduction for older children.......2001-02-01

Marc Chagall's paintings are beautiful and intricate, and this book attempts to deliver both reproductions of his paintings and an abbreviated biography. There are a few photographs scattered throughout as well, mostly of Chagall's family. I would warn readers, however, that even though the book is listed as suitable for children ages 4-8, a 4-year-old is not likely to enjoy this book, except perhaps as a free-form discussion tool. The narrative is too dense (short as it is) to hold such a young child's attention. My daughter, 4, is very bright and social, but she still couldn't look at the book with me in a conventional way. Instead we talked about what we saw in the pictures and how the colors blended together and created a mood, sometimes sad, sometimes happy. The book is worth purchasing for an older child, however, and I would recommend it for children at least age 6 and up. It is rather thin, but is filled with wonderful things.

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