He experienced modernism's 'golden age' in Paris, where 'he synthesized the art forms of Cubism, Symbolism, and Fauvism, and the influence of Fauvism gave rise to Surrealism'.

He had two basic reputations, writes Lewis: as a pioneer of modernism and as a major Jewish artist. He spent the wartime years in Soviet Belarus, becoming one of the country's most distinguished artists and a member of the modernist avant-garde, founding the Vitebsk Arts College before leaving again for Paris in 1922. During this period he created his own mixture and style of modern art based on his idea of Eastern European Jewish folk culture. He also did large-scale paintings, including part of the ceiling of the Paris Opéra.īefore World War I, he travelled between Saint Petersburg, Paris and Berlin. Using the medium of stained glass, he produced windows for the cathedrals of Reims and Metz, windows for the UN, and the Jerusalem Windows in Israel.

For decades, he 'had also been respected as the world's preeminent Jewish artist'. Lewis, Chagall was considered to be 'the last survivor of the first generation of European modernists'. An early modernist, he was associated with several major artistic styles and created works in virtually every artistic format, including painting, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries and fine art prints.Īrt critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as 'the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century' (though Chagall saw his work as 'not the dream of one people but of all humanity'). Marc Zakharovich Chagall, born Moishe Zakharovich Shagal (1887 - 1985), was a Russian-French artist of Belarusian Jewish origin. This poster also includes famous monuments of Paris in the background. He was best known for his dream-like images with colorful, floating figures and objects. Chagall also created a mural on the ceiling of the famous opera house. This original vintage poster by Marc Chagall was created in 1965 for the Paris Opera House for a performance of Romeo and Juliet.

Paris opera house ceiling chagall