Chagall's War Years at The Jewish Museum

Chagall “Solitude, 1933, oil on canvas

Yesterday “Chagall: Love, War, and Exile” opened at at The Jewish Museum. The exhibit covers the period that Marc Chagall spent in Paris through the time he spent in exile in New York (the 1930s through 1948). His fantasy, surreal, and evocation of the dream state works (31 paintings, 22 works on paper and selected letters, poem and photos) are inspired by his love for his wife, Bella (as well as her death), the war, and the crucifixion of Jesus, which is used as a metaphor for Jewish suffering and oppression and the horrors of the Holocaust. While in the gallery, I overheard a conversation between two patrons in which one man asked another which piece was his favorite. The second man replied, “That’s like choosing a favorite child, it simply cannot be done.” While I agree that the entire exhibit was awe-inspiring and Chagall is definitely one of my favorite painters, I would have to say that “Solitude” (pictured above) was one of, if not, my favorite works there. It was created during Hitler’s rise to power and a Jewish Eastern European town is depicted in the background, while an angel hoovers over black smoke.

Chagall, “The Falling Angel,” (1923-1947), oil on canvas

Chagall is known for his use of bright, predominantly primary color, and illustrating the Old Testament. The Times’ review of the exhibition describes it as the “thornier side of an artist known for sentimental paintings of floating couples, flying goats and fiddlers on the roof.” The exhibition will be open until February 2, 2013.

Chagall, “Calvary,” (1912) oil on canvas