“Vitebsk, village scene,” created by Marc Chagall in 1917, is an oil painting on canvas belonging to the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement. The artwork, a genre painting, measures 37.5 by 54.5 centimeters and is currently held in a private collection.
The artwork depicts a quaint village scene in Vitebsk, where houses with yellow thatched roofs and simple architectural features stand under a dramatically red sky. A figure, possibly a musician carrying an instrument, ascends a rooftop, imbuing the scene with a sense of whimsy. A horse is depicted seemingly leaping over the fence, adding an element of fantasy. The foreground reveals a figure in white who appears to be falling or possibly floating, and there are various chickens scattered around. The use of vibrant colors and imaginative details are characteristic of Marc Chagall’s style, evoking a surreal, dream-like interpretation of rural life.
