Marc Chagall: Le Cirque - Original color lithograph on Arches paper - 1967

Marc Chagall (1887–1985) is considered one of the most important and poetic artists of the modern era. His work defies clear art historical categorization, blending influences from Expressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, and Surrealism with a profoundly personal, symbolic visual language. Born Moishe Shagal in Vitebsk, Belarus, he grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family. The impressions of his childhood—village life, religious rituals, music, festivals, and folk tales—profoundly shaped his art and became a recurring source of inspiration for his visual world. In Chagall's works, figures float through space, lovers defy gravity, animals make music, and reality merges with dreams and memories.

In 1910, Chagall moved to Paris, where he came into contact with the artistic avant-garde. Despite the formative influences of this period, he always remained true to his narrative approach. His paintings tell stories of love, home, loss, hope, and spirituality. His great love, Bella Rosenfeld, played a central role in his work; she appears in many pieces as a luminous, floating figure and became a symbol of emotional connection. Among the most important motifs in his oeuvre are lovers, circus scenes, religious and biblical themes, as well as animals and musicians. The circus, in particular, fascinated Chagall as a poetic metaphor for human life—a place of wonder, joy, but also vulnerability.

During World War II, Chagall emigrated to the USA, where experiences of exile, uprooting, and loss were increasingly reflected in his work. After returning to Europe, he settled in southern France and expanded his artistic output to include stained glass windows, mosaics, ceramics, and monumental murals and ceiling paintings, including important works for the Paris Opera, Metz Cathedral, and international public buildings. Even in his later work, his art remained characterized by intense color, poetry, and a profound humanity.

Marc Chagall understood art not as a purely intellectual experiment, but as an emotional experience and an expression of inner truths. His works are both profoundly personal and universally accessible, speaking directly to viewers even today. With his unmistakable visual language, Chagall created a timeless oeuvre that celebrates imagination, memory, and love as central forces of human existence, making him one of the most enduringly influential artists of the 20th century.