Marc Chagall, born Moishe Shagal on July 7, 1887, in Liozna, near Vitebsk, which was then part of the Russian Empire and is now Belarus, was a visionary artist whose work transcended the traditional boundaries of artistic schools and movements. His unique style, which combined elements of Cubism, Fauvism, Symbolism, and Surrealism, was deeply rooted in his Jewish heritage and the rich tapestry of Eastern European culture. Chagall was the eldest of nine children in a modest Jewish family. His father, Zachar, worked for a herring merchant, and his mother, Feiga-Ita, ran a small grocery shop. The family's humble circumstances and the vibrant Jewish community of Vitebsk would later become a central theme in Chagall's art, imbuing his work with a sense of nostalgia and a connection to his roots. Despite the restrictions placed on Jews in the Russian Empire, Chagall's early exposure to art came through his studies at the local Jewish religious school and later at a Russian high school. His passion for art was ignited when he saw a fellow student drawing, which led him to begin copying images from books. Recognizing his talent, his mother arranged for him to study painting under the local realist artist Yehuda Pen. In 1906, Chagall moved to St. Petersburg, the cultural heart of Russia, where he continued his artistic education at the Imperial Society for the Protection of Fine Arts and later at the Zvantseva School of Drawing and Painting. It was here that he studied under the influential stage designer Léon Bakst, who encouraged Chagall to incorporate Jewish imagery into his work. Chagall's journey to Paris in 1910 marked a significant turning point in his career. The city was the epicenter of the avant-garde, and Chagall quickly immersed himself in the artistic ferment of Montparnasse. He settled in La Ruche, a bohemian artist colony, where he mingled with other immigrant artists and French modernists like Guillaume Apollinaire and Robert Delaunay. During this period, Chagall's work began to reflect the influence of the Parisian art scene, as he experimented with the abstract forms and dynamic compositions of Cubism while maintaining his distinctive use of color and whimsical subject matter. Chagall's first solo exhibition took place in Berlin in 1914, but the outbreak of World War I prevented his return to Paris. Instead, he found himself back in Vitebsk, where he married his beloved Bella Rosenfeld and witnessed the upheavals of the Russian Revolution. Despite the initial promise of the revolution, Chagall's avant-garde and individualistic style eventually fell out of favor with the Soviet authorities. In 1923, Chagall left Russia for good, settling in France where he would spend the majority of his life. His work during the interwar years brought him international acclaim, and he continued to explore themes of love, memory, and Jewish identity. The rise of Nazism and the outbreak of World War II forced Chagall to flee Europe once again, this time to the United States, where he spent the war years in relative safety. Chagall's post-war years were marked by a series of large-scale commissions, including designs for the Paris Opéra and stained-glass windows for the cathedrals of Reims and Metz, as well as the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. These works showcased his mastery of color and light, as well as his ability to infuse his art with deep spiritual and emotional resonance. Throughout his long and prolific career, Chagall remained an artist who defied categorization. His work, characterized by its poetic, dreamlike imagery, continued to draw on the rich cultural heritage of his childhood, even as it engaged with the modernist movements of his time. Chagall's legacy is that of an artist who, through his singular vision, created a body of work that speaks to the universal experiences of love, faith, and longing. Marc Chagall passed away on March 28, 1985, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, at the age of 97. His art remains celebrated worldwide, a testament to the enduring power of his imagination and the human spirit.

Marc Chagall Quotes and Sales of Works

Ponti Art Gallery selects and deals with paintings by the artist. Upon request, we provide free estimates and evaluations, communicate prices, quotations, and current market values.

If you are interested in BUYING or SELLING works by the artist, contact us immediately.

If you wish to sell or receive an evaluation of the works:

Send us a frontal photo of the painting, one of the back, and one of the signature. Also, indicate the dimensions of the work. Inform us about the purchase origin of the work and any kind of available documentation (purchase receipts, certificates of authenticity, publications). One of our operators will respond to you on the same day. We guarantee maximum confidentiality and extreme professionalism.

If you wish to purchase works by the painter: Contact us and let us know your request. We will inform you about the available works. We also offer the possibility to subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, through which you will be informed at the beginning of each month about the latest acquisitions of the art gallery.

You can send us pictures of the work:

• by mail –>  [email protected]
• by WhatsApp –> +39 3205747749