Marc Chagall, «Le Champ de Mars» (The Field of Mars)»

Le Regard Libre N° 30 - Loris S. Musumeci

A look at the painter-poet: Chagall (3/3)

The 1950s were a troubled time, celebrating a war that was over, but still mourning its painful relics. Le Champ de Mars (1955) reflects Marc Chagall's (1887-1985) melancholy yet joyful view of Paris, the city he loved.

Paris. Chagall lived there for many years, both as a poor beginner and as a recognized and admired painter. In Ma Vie, he recounts the misery of his rented apartment in «La Ruche», a bohemian hangout: «A studio filled with paintings, canvases that weren't canvases at all, but rather my tablecloths, sheets and nightgowns torn to pieces. Even though »Paris! There wasn't a word that was sweeter for me.« In 1941, the artist was driven to the port of Marseille by the raging war, and embarked on a voyage of discovery.