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Symbolism of Marc Chagall
By Amitai Sasson
Posted on Monday March 19, 2007

Chagall - Bonjour Paris, 1939-1942Chagall is considered one the greatest artists of the 20th century. His work is all but impossible to categorize. Some say Fauvism some say Cubism. He was an artist capable of such originality that to try to fit his work into a specific genre would demean the value and power of what he was able to achieve.

To celebrate the wonderful works of Chagall I have comprised a list of objects found in his works. Every one of these objects holds symbolic and spiritual meanings.

See for yourself what Chagall tried to convey in his great oil paintings.

  • Cow: life par excellence - milk, meat, leather, horn, power.
  • Tree: another symbol of life.
  • Rooster: fertility, often painted together with lovers.
  • Bosom: fertility of life - Chagall had great respect for Women and it is shown in his art.
  • Fiddler: In Chagall’s village Vitebsk the fiddler made music at major events such as weddings and holidays.
  • Herring - a flying fish: Commemorates Chagall’s father who worked in a fish factory.
  • Pendulum Clock: time, and modest life.
  • Candlestick: two candles symbolize the Shabbat and the life of devout Jews.
  • Windows: Chagall’s Love of Freedom.
  • Houses of Vitebsk: Feelings for his homeland as most of these paintings were done during his years in Paris.
  • Scenes of the Circus: Creativity and Joy.
  • Horses: Freedom.
  • The Eiffel Tower: Up in the sky, another symbolic metaphor for freedom.

After I researched Chagall symbolism it was cool to look back at his paintings and try and guess what was going through his mind when he painted them. Truly marvelous, truly glorious Marc Chagall paintings.

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6 Comments for 'Symbolism of Marc Chagall'

  1.  
    April 16, 2007 |
     

    […] The animation of this film shows the symbolic denotation of Marc Chagall paintings. See my previous post on Marc Chagall’s Symbolism to understand what each of these symbols actually portrays. Amitai Sasson Category: About various artists No Comments Sol LeWitt Immortalized […]

  2.  
    WILL
    January 11, 2008 |
     

    WHAT DOES THE GOAT MEAN!

  3.  
    WILL
    January 11, 2008 |
     

    plz i need to know about the goat

  4.  
    Administrator
    January 11, 2008 |
     

    Courtesy of Angela Levine:

    In general, Chagall’s inclusion of farm animals into his paintings allude to his memories of childhood. In particular, visits to an uncle on a farm where he knew every animal by name. Many of Chagall’s paintings include farmyard references such as to his childhood in Vitebsk, alongside images of Paris.
    The goat is a Jewish symbol for the day of atonement - a feast when the sins of the people were once symbolically expiated ( Leviticus X!V) by tying a red ribbon (rep. the sins)around the neck of a goat and casting him out into the wilderness to die. (After the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, a rooster or hen was used for this purpose instead). See painting on this subject by William Holman Hunt.
    It is most probable, that Chagall used this image with both these ideas in mind.

  5.  
    lily
    September 18, 2008 |
     

    art is art, let a goat be a goat!

  6.  
    Fredrick
    September 22, 2008 |
     

    omg its a goat he painted a goat thats all you need to know

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