"Through the window,
the misfit sees ...
Two-faced slivers of St.
Petersburg, glittering city
of czars and princes,
neighbors crammed in
filthy rooms, Russia's
poor, ignored."
From humble beginnings in Belarus Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal) found great success within a community of French artists, when he moved to Paris and let his imagination inform his life's work. He was always an observer, spending much of his early years peering through the window at life in his small village, taking classes where his artistic acumen was unappreciated, and painting store signs to keep food on the table.
The move to Paris changes his life entirely. Then, WWI wreaks havoc on his newfound celebrity. Returning home for his sister's wedding, he finds himself caught in its darkness and unable to leave.
"Leaders wrestle for power, crushing freedoms in life and art.
Restless crowds controlled through muscular portraits.
His radical canvases, orange faces, sky-blue horses,
called harmful, hated."
His eventual return to Paris, with his wife and daughter, brings new acclaim and much success. Life is good there for many years. WWII again forces a move ... this time to America and renewed inspiration for his artistic expression.
"Through the window,
the old man sees ...
A rippling kaleidoscope of magic memories.
His dreams, real and imagined,
broken apart and fit back together."
Today, the world can see through Mr. Chagall's stunning windows!
As you can tell from the passages quoted, the text is brilliant and is beautifully enhanced by Ms. Grandpre's stellar artwork. The endpapers are filled with familiar images from Chagall's art, and the author's note provides a concise but relevant look at his life from birth to death. A list of sources completes the information provided.
This is the third collaboration for the two artists, and is a worthy addition for home and classroom libraries. Be sure to look for The Noisy Paint Box (Knopf, 2014) and Vincent Can't Sleep (Knopf, 2017), and think of adding them to your collection.
We can only hope that there is another in the works.
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