I And The Village
When staring at the painting, I'm suddenly moved, my heart is gradually running over with warmth and happiness. I’m attracted deeply by the fairy tale imagery, the dreamy color. It feels that I’m kissing the milking sheepherder, stroking the flying fish, fiddling with the string silk of the violin.
There was actually one theme of Marc Chagall's works in his whole life: love and nostalgia. He created countless artists of it: the villages, the synagogues, the Jewish, the animals, the couples, mothers and children, the violin, the candles and clocks. Those poetic imagery appeared in his paintings repeatedly. He experienced lots of different kinds of things in his whole life which in turn enabled him to create different styles of paintings. The village and me is the representative of his early stages.
It's not difficult to understand this painting even though it seems complicated and strange. The name of the painting is the key to understand it.
The screen is adorned by the man with the hoe, the upside-down woman, the milking country girl and the flowers all over the ground. The wise and softhearted sheepherder’s lips part slightly, seems like he is singing in praise of the wonderful life. It's such a colorful and dreamy imagery.
In his painting, the green man on the right side with the triangular nose which is the feature of the Jew is Chagall. The people, animals and buildings actually are the unforgettable scenery of the Russian village where he grew up.
Chagall described many desirable scenes of Russian village in the painting, especially on the Christmas night: the village is covered with snow, the bells of churches ring, the tweedle of the priest is melodious, the delicious smell of turkey is floating in the air. Everyone sees this painting will have a strong desire to go home.
Chagall was a singer of love and nostalgia, like the wandering poet in the ancient.
