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Surroundings
As is common with many Chagall works, Violoniste Bleue features the protagonist
floating against the night sky. This, coupled with his body posture and the
birds flocking to him presents a very festive atmosphere. The town below lends
images of a French market in the evening with wandering minstrels and plenty
of good food.
Lighting
As noted above, Chagall frequently raises characters up into the sky, as if
halfway to heaven, in an attempt to make them appear more important, and perhaps
cast them in a more favorable light than the rest of the painting. You will
note that Chagall has effectively observed the properties of the moonlight
in Violoniste Bleue, and the violinist appears to be accurately lit which
acts as a perfect metaphor for the high regard of the musician. This accuracy
is something that is not always present in many Marc Chagall paintings.
Background
Keen observers will recognize the townscape below as one that has been featured
in countless other Chagall works. Who can blame him for using this setting
again and again? The moonlight casts a favorable glow over the buildings and
provides an outstanding frame for his work. This location is the Jewish village
that he lived in for four years after leaving Russia. It is during this period
that many Chagall aficionados believe his best work was done.
Violoniste Bleue makes it into my favorites Marc Chagall paintings list because it is a good example of Chagall’s style during his stay in the aforementioned Jewish village. It combines his use of bold colors, his fantasy style, and is simply pleasing to the eye.