“Rêve familier”

A Russian-born artist who became a naturalized French citizen, Marc Chagall spanned the century by creating a unique body of work at the intersection of Cubism, Fauvism, and Surrealism. Nicknamed “the painter-poet,” he built a visual universe where dreams, spirituality, and Jewish folklore intertwine to defy the laws of gravity.

Chagall’s aesthetic is rooted in the primacy of emotion and imagination over logic. For him, “art is above all a state of mind.” His thinking rejects rigid labels: he uses the deconstructions of Cubism to serve a dreamlike narrative. He believed in the revolutionary power of love and the Bible, which he considered the greatest source of poetry of all time.

His deep blues and vibrant reds are not descriptive, but serve to convey psychological intensity. Violinists on rooftops, flying donkeys, roosters, and lovers suspended in mid-air compose a personal mythology rooted in his childhood memories of Vitebsk.

Chagall is one of the few artists who managed to reach a wide audience while remaining a major figure of the avant-garde. His work on the Bible redefined sacred art in the 20th century, leading to the creation of his own national museum in Nice.

A witness to two world wars and exile, his work has remained an unwavering hymn to joy and hope.