The artwork titled “King David’s Tower,” created by Marc Chagall in 1971 while in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, is rendered in oil on canvas and belongs to the art movement of Naïve Art (Primitivism). Measuring 117 x 90 cm, this religious painting depicts a compelling scene replete with symbolic and historical references.
In the artwork, King David is prominently featured playing a harp, dressed in a colorful, regal robe with a green crown atop his head. Rendered in Chagall’s signature style, the scene is vibrant with rich, deep colors. Above King David, ethereal figures and spectral forms float amidst a dreamlike backdrop. Notable among these is a pair of intertwined figures encased within a luminous, rounded form that seems to hover like an apparition. Below the heavenly figures, a congregation of smaller, indistinct figures stand near a tower, possibly representing the Tower of David. The base of the painting contains geometric forms and vivid colors, in stark contrast to the dominant darker and more muted tones of the rest of the composition. The entire scene is imbued with Chagall’s characteristic blend of mysticism and folklore, creating a haunting, otherworldly tableau.
