The artwork titled “Birth” was created by Marc Chagall in 1910 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation. This piece, rendered in oil on canvas, belongs to the Expressionism movement and measures 65 x 89.5 cm. The artwork falls under the genre painting category and is currently housed at the Kunsthaus Zürich in Zürich, Switzerland.
The artwork depicts a poignant scene set within an indoor space. Central to the composition is a woman, who appears to have just given birth, reclining on a bed draped with dark red curtains decorated with a motif. The room is dimly lit, creating an atmosphere of intimacy and warmth. A midwife, distinguished by her traditional attire and headscarf, stands beside the bed holding the newly born infant swaddled in a cloth. Surrounding this central scene are various figures engaged in different activities, adding to the narrative depth. To the right, there appears to be a gathering of men, seemingly mid-discussion or observation, with their expressions and poses dynamically contributing to the lively yet tender atmosphere. The floorboards and the rustic window, through which a face peers in, further evoke a sense of a rural or historical setting. The artwork emanates a profound sense of life’s cyclical nature and the shared human experience of birth, framed within Chagall’s distinctively expressive style.
