ArtistReport

MarcZakharovichChagallwasbornonJuly7,1887andhadaveryinteresting
personality.Hewasknowntobeincrediblybrightwhenhewasenrolledintoagrammar
school,butaftergraduatingschool,hedecidedtobecomeaphotographersapprentice
forYehudaPen.Itiseasytoseethathehadaninnovativemindwantingtobreakfree
ofthetraditionalboundariesofregularschoolingandtogainabetterinsightonthe
foundationsoffineart.
MarcChagallstemperamentandcharacterwashighlydynamicincomparison
totheordinaryperson.Atanearlyage,Chagallshowedgreatcouragewhenhedecided
toleavethecomfortsofhissmallhometowntogainagreaterknowledgeaboutthearts.
Withlittlesupportfromhisparents,MarcChagalldecidedtogotoSt.Petersburginan
attempttoenterintoanartschool,andtobeliberatehisarthungrymind.Inaddition,
MarcChagalldemonstratedgreatbraverybyexploringandidentifyinghisJewishroots
throughthemediumofhispaintings.
TheartistMarcChagallgrewupinaverylargefamilyofninekids.Thefamily
wasaLithuanianJewishfamilyinanareacloseVitebsk,Belarus.AtthistimeBelarus
wasapartoftheRussianEmpire.Alongwiththat,thecityhadamassiveJewish
populationwithalmosthalfofthecitizenslivingtherehavingJewishroots.Bothofhis
parentsworkedincrediblyhardtosupportthefamily,andinordertoliveanhonestlife,
thefatherworkedunderamerchant,earningameagerincomewhileChagallsmother
wassellinggroceryitemsoutsidetheirhome.

ThetimeperiodthatChagallgrewupwasinterestingbecauseduringthistime,
theRussianpogromwasineffect.Atthistime,Jewishgroupswereheavily
discriminatedandbarredaccesstomanythingssuchaseducationandwereprohibited
fromtravellingfreelyacrosstheRussianEmpire.Althoughthelawswereextremely
harsh,theJewishcommunityovercametheseissuesbycreatingtheirownschools,
hospitals,andmarketplacesfortheresidingindividuals.
TheDrunkard(Lesaoul)
wasasignificantpartofChagallsportfoliobecauseit
wasastartandbeginningofhisartisticendeavors.Intheyearof1910,Chagallmoved
toParistoreallyhonehisartisticabilities.Inthe
TheDrunkard
,youcanseeChagalls
stylereallycomealiveinFrance.Thepaintingemploystheartisticelementsofcubism
surrealismandvibrantcolorstoexpresshisthoughts.Inaddition,thepaintingisvery
abstractinapeculiarwaywhichmadethepaintingstandoutandevenaddinghumorto
themix.
MarcChagallsartisticabilitiesandstyleishighlyuniqueandscreamscreativity.
Hisabilitytouseacombinationofcubism,surrealism,impressionismandindividual
creativityiswhatmakeshisartworkeasytodifferentiatefromtheordinaryartist.In
addition,Chagallsabilitytoemploythevarietyofmethodsaddstothedynamicaspects
oftheartwork,incredibledepththatcanbegreatlyanalyzed,andillustratesastory
aboutthehislife.Agreatexampleofthiswouldbetheartworkof
Rabbimetwetsrol.
Thispaintingdemonstratesnotonlyhisartisticabilities,butalsohisfaithtohisreligion
andidentificationwithhisJewishbackground.ThepaintingalludestoapartofChagalls
familialandreligiousaspectsofhislife.Itisalsoasymbolofhisbraverybecause

throughouthistory,Jewshavealwaysbeenpersecutedandcondemnedfortheir
religiousbeliefintheChristiandominantcivilizations.Thispaintingistheepitomethat
expressedhisproudreligiousrootsandJewishculture,somethingthatwaspreviously
heldinsecrecyduringhischildhoodinfearofpersecutionandoppression.

Sources:
MarcChagall
byJonathanWilson
http://www.moodbook.com/history/modernism/marcchagallartandlife.html
http://www.theartstory.org/artistchagallmarc.htm