Chagall
28 Sep 2024 - 9 Feb 2025
Marc Chagall (1887–1985) is one of the most prominent artists of the 20th century. His remarkable work spans from his early years starting in 1905 to the 1980s. Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Witebsk (now Belarus), the influences of his childhood are deeply reflected in his art.
Chagall’s works captivate with their fantastical and poetic imagery, remaining enigmatic despite their familiarity. His artistic journey traverses the realms of tradition and avant-garde, experiencing the art movements of the 20th century—from Primitivism to Cubism, Fauvism, and Surrealism—and crafting a distinctive visual language marked by impressive continuity.
Central themes in Chagall’s paintings include motherhood, birth, death, and love, which he revisits and reinterprets through repetition and variation. Recurring motifs like the rooster, donkey, cow, and fish are flexible elements within his fantastical universe. The apparent contradictions in his compositions reflect his quest for a “logic of the illogical,” adding a profound psychological dimension to traditional forms.
The ALBERTINA exhibition features around 100 works from all phases of Chagall’s career, revealing his dynamic engagement with the fundamental themes of life and showcasing a captivating array of “impossible possibilities.”
