Marc Chagall Between the Sacred and the Profane.
https://youtu.be/ir-xG3FbBN0?si=cdDK2seSgrsBwYO5
https://youtu.be/ydmWND1XfWg?si=sjyEROEfiqk_L4Qp
Singer of a dreamlike and fairy-tale universe, populated with visionary poetry, enveloping light effects, references to Jewish culture, animals and magic characters…
….we are talking about Marc Chagall (1887-1985), Russian painter of Jewish origins born in Vitebsk,
now located in Belarus, and naturalized French.
Here we want to deal with one of his perhaps most suggestive and grandiose pictorial works, the glittering decoration of the dome of the Opéra Garnier in Paris (Opéra National de Paris).
Commissioned in the early 1960s by his friend André Malraux, Minister of Cultural Affairs at the time, it was inaugurated on 23 September 1964.
The impressive work of over 220 square meters, dominated by bright colours such as white, red, yellow, blue, light blue and greens, is expression of the unmistakeable style of Chagall, full of grace and lightness. The surreal and the spiritual floats between immaterial flying figures, poetic colorful animals, naive and childish images of strong vitality
We see before our eyes
– the passion of Bizet’s Carmen in red, with the bull playing guitar
– the green hope of Gluck’s Orfhée et Eurydice
– Beethoven’s Fidelio (green and blue) with Leonore running towards a figure on horseback
– Verdi’s radiance with probably La Traviata (yellow)
– the majesty in blue of Mussorsky’s Boris Godunov
– the floating loveliness of Giselle by Adam and of Schwan’s Lake by Tchaikovsky, both in golden yellow among swan-women,flowers and village dances
– the Dionysian disruption of Stravinsky (L’oiseau de feu) in red, green and blue
– Ravel (Daphnis et Chloé) in red
– the mysterious symbolism of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande,in blue
– the dazzling white of Rameau’s composition
– the embrace between the two lovers floating in the greenery (Romeo et Juliette) by Berlioz
– Tristan and Isolde by Wagner, also in green, with the two lovers, the Arc de Triomphe
and the Place de la Concorde
– the ethereal blue of Mozart and Die Zauberflote with a gigantic angel and a rooster playing a flute
Chagall worked climbed one the dome for one year at the age of 77 to put the finishing touches on.
When the great chandelier of crystal lit up…..VOILA’ !!!!!!!!!
He said:” Up there in my painting I wanted to reflect like a bouquet in a mirror the dreams and creations of singers and musicians, to call to mind the movements of the audience sitting below in all their colourful clothes and to honour the great composers of operas and ballets”.
Bible Stories in Chagall Museum in Nice, France
“Ever since my earliest youth I have been captivated by the Bible. I have always thought and still think that it is the greatest source of poetry of all time.” (Marc Chagall’s inauguration speech of the Museum of Nice on the 7th of July 1973)
The idea of Chagall taking on the monumental task of illustrating the Bible originated with famed art dealer and publisher Ambroise Vollard, that had previously worked with him on illustrating the novel of Gogol “Dead Souls” and the “Fables” of La Fontaine. In preparation for this commission Chagall travelled to Palestine in the spring of 1931 and his passion for the project even led him to Amsterdam, where he intently studied the biblical art created by Rembrandt van Rijn and El Greco.
Here we have some of the jewels of the Museum’s collection.
The creation of Man
Paradise
Adam and Eve Banished from Paradise
Noah’s Ark
Noah and the Rainbow
Abraham and the Three Angels
May happiness and positivity surround you.
Happy New Year to all!