Essay by Katherine E. Goebel, Assistant Editor

Marc Chagall is widely recognized as both a pioneer of the Modernist movement and as the preeminent Jewish artist of the world. Within his long and widely respected career, we see influences of Cubism, Symbolism, Fauvism and Jewish folk culture. What is truly emblematic in his works is the use of color with its solid, bold backgrounds and painterly, poetic figures. In fact, Picasso remarked in the 1950s, "When Matisse dies, Chagall will be the only painter left who understands what colour really is" (qtd. in Wullschläger). This statement is wholly applicable to Chagall's Nocturne à Vence of 1963, in which we see images of a dream-like narrative translated through the juxtaposition of colors. Creations such as this with their combination of bold, primary hues and religious sentiment relate nicely to another medium Chagall was well known for-stained glass. In fact, Chagall was revered for his work on the cathedrals of Reims and Metz, the windows at the United Nations headquarters and the Jerusalem windows in Israel.

This particular image is of great interest in that it combines traditional Chagallesque elements (religious cues emblazoned by striking colors) with some unique insertions as well. His depiction here of a night at Vence, a town in the French Riviera, is a subjective purposeful demonstration of how he viewed the nightlife in that area. He has adopted a sense of mysticism in his translation, combining references to technology (the airplane in the top left corner), theology (an angel in flight along with a depiction of Mary and Joseph), and romance (the devoted lovers in the top center). All of these elements hint at points of direct significance or popularity in the Riviera culture through the eyes of Chagall.

In 1963, when this lithograperh was produced, Chagall was residing in Côte d'Azur, a Mecca for artistic genius. Other greats such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso had used the South of France as both a home and a source of inspiration. The dream-like waves of color and motion that sweep across Chagall's work produced during this period reflect the vibrancy of the region. The combination of his elegant, minimalist brushstrokes and his unprompted use of disparate imagery evokes a sense of intrigue in the viewer. One is left wondering if an actual visit to Vence could generate such a trancelike, imaginative response as Chagall has depicted in his lithograph.