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I and the Village
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Click here to buyI and the Village is essentially an idealized view of rural life, harkening back to Chagall's childhood in rural Russia. The painting is made up of a series of opposites contrasted to one another to form a cycle or suggest a symbiotic relationship. These combine to form an overarching theme of a supreme harmony with nature. Peace and coexistence are what are presented as the fundamental elements of bucolic Eastern Europe.
The most immediately noticeable contrasting elements are the large animal head on the left and the equally large peasant head facing it. The peasant wears a crucifix; the animal, a beaded necklace not unlike a rosary. They look at each other across the entire frame of the painting, perhaps an entire universe—suggested by the sun and moon at the moment of eclipse and the cosmic circle that encloses part of both the peasant's and the animal's faces. This is obviously symbolic of man's symbiotic nature with his beasts of burden: the farmer is supposedly the master of his animals, but he is completely dependent upon them as well.
Other, smaller symbiotic contrasts are present. The small peasant with the scythe near the top could represent death, while in turn, the tree at the bottom is most likely the Tree of Life. The aforementioned sun/moon combination is notable as well. The construction functions in a similar way. The painting is essentially built around the contrasts of red/green, right/left, and up/down.
Chagall painted Village with an almost lacquer-like surface, making for intense colors. The shimmering, explosive quality of the colors was revered by critics when the painting was first exhibited, and remains one of the most remarkable elements of the piece today.
Click to purchase art prints by Marc Chagall