Marc Chagall
French, born Russia, 1887 - 1985Nature morte brune (Brown Still Life), n.d.
Not on view
Lithograph on paper
Dimensions9 1/2 × 7 1/4 in. (24.1 × 18.4 cm)
Gift of the family of Carroll W. Driggett, 2001.13
A bottle, bowl of fruit, and plate are the key elements of this still life, but a narrative emerges that adds to the traditional subject. Marc Chagall added figures of people and animals floating through the window, creating a dreamlike scenario of dinner on a terrace with ghostly guests. Framed by the window shutters, the ghostly figures float through an indeterminate space, seemingly both inside and outside of the room—a portrayal of depth that challenges perception. Chagall embraced an expressive style with broad strokes and rapid lines, demonstrating his enthusiasm for experimentation and subverting the traditional idea of what a still life should look like, both in style and composition.
An early modernist, Marc Chagall, a Russian-French artist of Belarusian Jewish origin, worked in nearly every artistic format, including painting, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramics, printmaking, and tapestries. In his works, such as Brown Still Life, he experimented with depth and perspective, as seen in the figures and their relation to the setting. He also added accents of red, blue, and purple over the black ink, which demonstrates his experimentations with color.
