Marc Chagall did not receive a normal academic education. He studied at several art studios, including in Paris. In France, Chagall absorbed and reworked the experience of Fauvism and Cubism in his own manner.
After returning from Paris to his native city of Vitebsk (1914-1915), Chagall created a series of paintings that were later exhibited in St Petersburg. At the exhibition, The Red Jew was exhibited under the title Jew with Letters.
This composition is undoubtedly one of the most dramatic of Chagall’s canvases. The coloristic palette reflected in the painting’s later title contributes to this in no small part. It is colour that transforms the image of an old Jew into a truly tragic figure. Moreover, Chagall imbues the image with epic power thanks to the large dimensions of the figure placed in the centre of the composition as its dominant element.
After returning from Paris to his native city of Vitebsk (1914-1915), Chagall created a series of paintings that were later exhibited in St Petersburg. At the exhibition, The Red Jew was exhibited under the title Jew with Letters.
This composition is undoubtedly one of the most dramatic of Chagall’s canvases. The coloristic palette reflected in the painting’s later title contributes to this in no small part. It is colour that transforms the image of an old Jew into a truly tragic figure. Moreover, Chagall imbues the image with epic power thanks to the large dimensions of the figure placed in the centre of the composition as its dominant element.
