Reflections of the famous artist Marc Chagall about the modern world were embodied in one of his best paintings "The White Crucifixion". This is a tragic work, written after a series of Jewish pogroms in Germany.
Marc Chagall's painting "The White Crucifixion" is an alarming foreboding of even more tragic events taking place against the backdrop of implacable anti-Semitism. Together with Picasso's Guernica, the White Crucifixion seems to anticipate the inhuman events of the Holocaust.
Jewish images in the works of Chagall
Marc Chagall, the author of the famous painting "The White Crucifixion", is the most famous Russian and French avant-garde artist of the twentieth century.
In addition to painting, Chagall wrote poetry in Yiddish and was engaged in scenography. The artist's Jewish roots became decisive for his work. The continuous persecution of the Jewish people was actively reflected in Chagall's paintings.
As a student of Yudel Pen, a prominent figure in the field of painting, Mark Zakharovich took over from him the idea of what a national artist is. Chagall actively visualizes Jewish folklore and Yiddish sayings. Even in Christian subjects, traits of a Jewish interpretation are visible. We are talking about such paintings as "The Holy Family", "Dedication to Christ" and others.
History of creation
The White Crucifixion was written in 1938. The creation of the painting was preceded by the so-called "Kristallnacht", also known as "The Night of Broken Glass Windows". On the night of November 9-10, young Nazis organized a series of pogroms among Jews living in Central and Eastern Europe. In just one night, more than ninety Jews were killed, hundreds of people were crippled and thousands were subjected to numerous insults and humiliations. Synagogues, as well as all Jewish-owned enterprises, were ruthlessly destroyed or set on fire. Schools and hospitals were looted and buildings destroyed with sledgehammers. In addition, thirty thousand Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Some of them died from severe beatings within a few weeks. The survivors were later released on the condition that they would soon leave Germany. However, there is no data on how many people managed to escape from the country.
The damage caused by the Germans totaled about 25 million Reichsmarks. Of these, five million fell on destroyed shop windows, hence the second name of the night - "Night of Broken Shop Windows".
Later, Soviet newspapers published massive reports of protests against the "Night of Broken Windows" around the world. At a meeting held on November 15 at the Moscow Conservatory, a resolution was passed condemning anti-Semitic positions. The protest was supported by the United States, France and Britain.
Being Jewish by nationality, Chagall reacted sharply to political events taking place in Europe. After some time, he himself almost became a prisoner of a concentration camp, so many of his works of that time bear the stamp of a terrible reality.
"White Crucifixion" is not the only painting written on this topic. In the late thirties and early forties, Marc Chagall created a whole series of paintings in which the sufferings of the Jews are closely intertwined with the sufferings of Jesus. Subsequently, all paintings were exhibited in a separate room at the Paris exhibition in the Luxembourg Gardens.
The plot of the picture
In the painting "White Crucifixion" there are no real scenes of persecution or persecution. With the help of drawings and symbols, Marc Chagall creates an allegory of past tragic events.
The image of Jesus crucified on the cross is a symbol of the entire Jewish people, who are forced to endure death throes. The head of Christ is not crowned with a familiar crown of thorns, but a talis - a garment of the Jews used during prayer. At the feet of Jesus stands a lighted seven-legged menorah lamp, which also belongs to the most ancient Jewish religious attributes.
Of great importance is the white ray, which comes from above and seems to cut the picture into two parts. The ray illuminates Jesus and represents the destruction of death and the victory over it. Looking at the savior, it seems as if he did not die, but simply sleeps. The artist masterfully conveys a sense of calm and hope that nothing can destroy.
In the lower part of the picture, the atrocities of the young Nazis are depicted - the seizure of houses and Jews, the burning of the synagogue. In the upper part of the figure from the Old Testament, they are perplexedly watching how the familiar world is crumbling, how unfortunate people run, how their dwellings and shrines are crumbling. Foremother Rachel, as well as forefathers Isaac, Jacob and Abraham do not hide their tears at the sight of the atrocities taking place.
Each character of "The White Crucifixion" has a deep meaning, and some characters are known to the public from other paintings. For example, this is a wanderer in green clothes with a bag on his shoulder. He embodies the prophet Elijah or any Jewish traveler. Another symbol is the overcrowded boat, which is suggestive of Noah's ark. And this, in turn, gives rise to associations with the hope of salvation from the outrageous Nazis. However, the boat is depicted as small, and the passengers are emaciated, which once again makes the viewer understand that the hope for salvation is illusory.
Also, the red communist flags can be attributed to symbolic elements. It becomes clear that the persecution of the Jewish people was carried out not only in Nazi Germany, but also in other countries.
There is a white plaque on the old man's chest in the lower left corner. Initially, it was written: "I am a Jew." Subsequently, the artist painted over the inscription, in a similar way he did with the swastika on the sleeve of the Nazi who set fire to the synagogue.
In the upper right part, a German arsonist takes a Torah scroll from a drawer - a handwritten scroll for weekly reading in the synagogue. Candlesticks and other ritual attributes are thrown into the snow, the wall of the synagogue is engulfed in flames. The Prophet Moses in a green robe seemingly seeks to "run out" outside the picture. A man in black clothes in the left corner, in the atmosphere of a terrible pogrom, is trying to preserve the sacred Torah scrolls.
At the very bottom of the picture, a woman with a child in her arms is looking directly at the viewer. The destitute Jewess seems to be asking - what to do now, where to go and where to hide?
The symbol of the crucifixion in the works of Chagall
Marc Chagall uses the crucifixion in several paintings at once, so it is important to understand what the artist is putting into this image.
In the Jewish religion, the cross is not used as a symbol. The main emblem of Judaism is the star of David - a six-pointed star in which two triangles are superimposed on each other. Despite this, Marc Chagall writes in his canvases the crucified Jesus, who suffered and suffered for all of humanity, regardless of religion. The crucifixion in this case is a symbol of forgiveness, faith and endless suffering.
The artist carries the image of Christ to the viewer in the paintings "White Crucifixion", "Exodus", "Yellow Crucifixion" and others. At the same time, the interpretation of the savior in these canvases does not coincide with the gospel. Here it is not an incarnate God who sacrifices himself. Chagall's Jesus is a collective image - this is a whole Jewish people doomed to suffer. This becomes logical based on the plot of the paintings - Jewish pogroms and persecutions are depicted everywhere.
Assessment of the painting
Today "White Crucifixion" is rightfully considered one of the best works of Marc Chagall. Moreover, the painting is one of the favorite paintings of Pope Francis. Anyone can see the original painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. The work was sold to the institution by the architect Alfred Alshuler.
