Marc Chagall — painter with roots in the Russian Empire
Marc Chagall (1887–1985) was a Russian-born French painter whose lyrical canvases blended Jewish folklore, Cubism, and Surrealism. Born in Vitebsk to a Hasidic family, he became one of the 20th century's most beloved and original modernists.
"Chagall emigrated from Vitebsk to Paris in 1910, fleeing limited artistic opportunity and antisemitism."
Migration storyTracing the roots — Vitebsk (Belarus)
Raised in a Yiddish-speaking shtetl under the Russian Empire, Chagall drew lifelong inspiration from Vitebsk's streets, synagogues, and his parents Khatskl and Feiga-Ita's devout world. That village never left his canvas.
.svg?width=900)
Vitebsk (Belarus). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
A career defined by ambition
"I am a painter from Vitebsk. That little town has formed me just as much as Paris."