“The Red Gateway” is an oil on canvas artwork by Marc Chagall, created in 1917 at Liozna, near Vitebsk, Belarus. This piece is a part of the Expressionism movement and can be categorized under the cityscape genre. The work is noteworthy for its vivid use of color and the emotional resonance typical of Chagall’s expressive style.
The artwork depicts a striking red gateway that dominates the composition. The gate is adorned with patterns that catch the viewer’s eye, suggesting a rich texture and emphasizing its prominence in the scene. Adjacent to the gateway are structures rendered in a mix of warm tones, with elements such as windows and doors adding architectural detail to the composition.
A white goat stands in the foreground, adding an element of life and further interest to the cityscape. Its presence could be interpreted as a symbol of domesticity or rural life, offering a contrasting touch to the urban environment and possibly reflecting Chagall’s own background and affinity for rural motifs. Above the gateway, a small green rooster perches on the fence, contributing to the rural motif and reinforcing the artwork’s narrative component.
The sky, depicted in varied shades of blue, serves as a backdrop to the scene, providing a cool contrast to the warm reds and browns. The overall execution of the artwork has a dreamlike quality, a characteristic often seen in Chagall’s works, which weaves together reality with a sense of fantasy and emotional symbolism.
