Marc Chagall: An Artful Life
Matthew Palczynski holds a Ph.D. in art history and has been teaching at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art since 2004, where his focus is on vanguard art post-1850. He has lectured extensively at colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University, and at organizations such as Renaissance Weekend, The Barnes Foundation, Road Scholar, and the National Gallery of Art.
Overview
Throughout Marc Chagall’s long career, his work retained a kind of youthful exuberance–one of the many reasons his imagery is so beloved. His scenes reflect the many important historical and artistic moments he experienced, including both World Wars and Paris at the heyday of Cubism. Along the way he merged subjects and themes recollected from a childhood in modern-day Belarus with the complexities inspired by the avant-garde communities around him, ultimately visualizing a world filled with love, wonder, and imagination.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Chagall: A Biography, by Jackie Wullschlager
Marc Chagall ex. cat., San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2003
Marc Chagall: My Life, by Marc Chagall
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- In which ways was Chagall an innovator?
- What role did his Jewish identity play in his work?
- What are some of Chagall’s most important works?
The professor seemed to know the subject