Paris through the window. Marc Chagall.1913

A  little visual art and history for your weekend, in celebration of the artistic energy of Paris from 1911-1920′s.

In Paris Through the Window: Marc Chagall and His Circle at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is the story of Chagall and his circle with beginnings and endings precipitated by the tumult of twentieth-century Europe.  “In La Ruche you either came out dead or famous,” Marc Chagall  said of the Parisian refuge of bohemian artists from Eastern Europe that he called home during his first Paris period. French for “the beehive,” La Ruche buzzed both with creativity and camaraderie during Chagall’s time there.

Exhibition’s curator Michael Taylor spoke to MutualArt.com :  “The Philadelphia Museum of Art has the most important collection of early Chagall works made between 1910 and 1925 outside of Europe,  so for a long time I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to showcase that. The real impetus was the announcement of an international festival of the arts in Philadelphia, titled PIFA. The theme of the festival was Paris in the nineteen-teens and I immediately thought of Chagall, another one of those Eastern European artists who came to Paris and changed the way modern art looked.”

Self portrait.Chagall.1914

Marc Chagall arrived in Paris, 1911 during the first chapter of Cubism. The circle of friends Chagall formed around himself during this time influenced his art through both hardships and passions. As a symbol of culture, freedom, and modernity, the city of Paris held a magnetic attraction for artists from around the globe during the early decades of the twentieth century. Most painters and sculptors, as well as poets and writers, settled in an area of Paris known as Montparnasse.

This exhibition is celebrating the theme of friendships and collaborations, a good theme to remember these days.  Enjoy.

The Poet Reclining. Marc Chagall. 1915

Tea Time (Woman with a Teaspoon) 1911 Jean Metzinger, French, 1883 - 1956

Blue Eyes (Portrait of Madame Jeanne Hébuterne) Made in France 1917 Amedeo Modigliani, Italian, 1884 - 1920

Oh God 1919 Marc Chagall, French (born Russia), 1887 - 1985