2025 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-24 17:46
Today we will talk about the painting "White Crucifix". Marc Chagall is the author of this canvas. The painting was created by the artist in 1938. It happened two weeks after Kristallnacht. At that time the artist was visiting Europe. You can see the canvas in the walls of the Art Institute of Chicago. This work was sold to this institution by the architect Alfred Alschuler.
History
"White crucifixion" - a picture that was created by the artist under the impression of the persecution of Jews, which took place in Eastern and Central Europe. The canvas does not reflect the actual scene, but shows an allegory for the events. It uses many special patterns and symbols. Being Jewish by origin, the artist created a large gallery of works depicting the crucifixion. The image of Jesus on the cross is a new symbol for Chagall. In it, he put the content of the entire Jewry, which was going through mortal torments. Crucifixions in the artist's canvases became his response to the brutal actions of the Nazis. From them hesuffered personally in 1933. Then almost all of his paintings were destroyed. The work "White Crucifixion" is a premonition of the Holocaust. The canvas “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso, who was a contemporary of our hero, is saturated with a similar mood.
Description
"White crucifixion" is a canvas that highlights the suffering not only of Jesus, but also of the Jews. Numerous violent actions are visible on the sides. Among them stands out the burning of houses and synagogues, as well as the capture of Jews. The crucifixion of Jesus is shown in the center. He is dressed in a shroud and tales, which replaces the crown of thorns. All this is a symbol of the fact that he is a Jew. The figure of Jesus on a crucifix is depicted against a background that has the color of ivory. The image extends over the whole world, which is constantly being destroyed. A special seven-candle lamp burns at his feet.
The upper part of the canvas "White Crucifixion" shows the viewer the Old Testament characters crying, watching what is happening below at this moment. The foreground shows a green figure with a bag over his shoulders. This element appears in a number of Chagall's works. He is interpreted as the prophet Elijah or any Jewish traveler. A boat is visible in the center of the composition. It is associated with the hope that the Nazis will be saved. The upper right part of the picture shows the flag of Lithuania. At that time it was an independent state. The upper left part of the picture shows the flags of communism. This element can be considered a symbol of the fact that the persecution of the Jews is notjust a Nazi phenomenon. The author says that anti-Semitism was also observed in communist countries.
Rating
"White crucifixion" is considered one of the best creations of the artist. This work fully embodied Chagall's continuous thoughts about the events that take place in the world around him. The artist's thoughts are incredibly tragic. The tones of the Apocalypse have become the main ones here. The picture is not a reflection of the plot of the Gospel, it demonstrates the author's modernity.
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