The Birthday by Marc Chagall is a 1915 painting that depicts the artist and his soon-to-be wife, Bella, floating in the air unburdened by gravity. The painting showcases Chagall’s unique style which was based on his idea of Eastern European Jewish folk culture. He composed his images based on emotional and poetic associations rather than pictorial logic rules.
The painting is best described as a love letter to Bella, whom he married shortly after creating “The Birthday.” This work of art is an expression of love and desire for freedom depicted through imagery rather than precise representation.
During World War I, Chagall left Russia and spent time in Paris where he met other modernist artists. However, he returned to Soviet Belarus during wartime years and became one of the country’s most distinguished artists and part of the modernist avant-garde.
Overall, “The Birthday” reflects Chagall’s distinct style which combined aspects of both modern art and traditional Eastern European Jewish culture into unique works full of imagination and emotion.
