“The White Crucifix” - a picture of Marc Chagall , created in 1938 during his visit to Europe. It was written two weeks after the tragic Kristallnacht . The canvas is part of the collection of the Chicago Art Institute , which was presented to him by the famous Chicago architect Alfred Alshuler [1] .
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| Mark Shagal | ||
| White crucifix . 1938 | ||
| Oil on canvas . 154.3 × 139.7 cm | ||
| Art Institute , Chicago | ||
| ( inv. ) | ||
History
The painting was painted by the artist under the influence of the persecution of Jews in Central and Eastern Europe. It does not reflect the real scene, but shows an allegory of events using symbols and drawings. As a Jew, Chagall nonetheless created a whole gallery of works depicting a crucifix. The image of the crucified Jesus for Chagall is a new symbol - experiencing the mortal torment of Jewry. Crucifixion in Chagall’s paintings is a response to the actions of the Nazis, from which he himself suffered in 1933, when almost all of his paintings were destroyed. The painting “The White Crucifix”, like another painting by his famous contemporary Pablo Picasso “ Guernica ”, became a premonition of the Holocaust [2] .
Description
The painting “The White Crucifix” emphasizes the suffering of Jesus and the Jews. Various violent actions take place around, such as the burning of synagogues, houses and the seizure of Jews. The center shows the crucifixion of Jesus, dressed in tales instead of a crown of thorns and a shroud , as a symbol that he is Jewish. The figure of the crucified Jesus, depicted on an ivory background, extends over a world that is undergoing destruction. At his feet is a seven-candle lamp [3] . In the upper part of the picture are shown Old Testament characters who cry when they see what is happening below. In the foreground is the current green figure with a bag over his shoulders. This figure, which appears in several works of Chagall, is interpreted as any Jewish traveler or prophet Elijah . In the middle of the composition, a boat is shown, which is associated with the hope of salvation from the Nazis.
The flag of Lithuania is shown in the upper right part of the picture. Lithuania at that time was still an independent state. In addition, in the upper left part of the picture there are red flags of communism. The persecution of the Jews was not only a Nazi phenomenon. The flags in the picture give a hint of anti-Semitism in these countries. The sad Jewish seriousness here merges with the ingenuous seriousness of French primitivism [3] .
The picture was made [by whom? ] [ when? ] two changes: the swastika on the armband of the warrior who burns the synagogue is painted over, as well as the words “Ich bin Jude” ( Russian: I am Jewish ) on a poster on the man’s neck.
This is the favorite painting of Pope Francis [4] [5] [6] .
Notes
- ↑ White Crucifixion, 1938 , Art Institute of Chicago (English)
- ↑ Alec D. Epstein. Returning Jesus to the Jewish World: Crucifixions by Marc Chagall and Oscar Rabin // Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities (Vaad) of Ukraine : Newspaper. - Vol. No. 12 December 2012 . - No. 188 .
- ↑ 1 2 Raisa Martinen “Chagall, or the Enchanting Storm”, 1948 (Russian)
- ↑ Why does Pope Francis love Marc Chagall? (May 07, 2013). Date of treatment May 3, 2014.
- ↑ Esplora il significanto del termine: Tango e battesimo, fidanzata e vangelo l'alfabeto misto di Papa Francesco Tango e battesimo, fidanzata e vangelo l'alfabeto misto di Papa Francesco (Italian) (March 14, 2013). Date of treatment May 3, 2014.
- ↑ Harry Alsop. Pope Francis: 20 things you didn't know . - London Telegraph Online Edition.