The artwork, titled “War,” was created by the artist Marc Chagall in 1915 in Liozna, near Vitebsk, Belarus. The medium used for this piece is ink on paper, and it belongs to the art movement known as Expressionism. Measuring 22 x 18 cm, the genre of the artwork is identified as genre painting.
In this evocative piece, a solitary figure dressed in dark, heavy clothing occupies the central space. The figure’s face is rendered with a haunting expression, accentuated by the deep lines and shading that emphasize a sense of melancholy and contemplation. The background reveals a composite narrative with simplified, child-like sketches of soldiers and text that invokes various countries involved in World War I, such as Belgium, France, and Serbia. This juxtaposition between the somber, detailed figure and the almost whimsical background elements amplifies the tension and emotional depth typical of Expressionist artwork, conveying the profound psychological and emotional impact of war.
