Chagall, Marc (1887-1985)
Le Violiniste (The Fiddler)
1912–1913
Oil on linen tablecloth, 196.5 x 166.5 x 6.5 cm
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Marc Chagall completed The Violinist shortly after moving from St. Petersburg to Paris. It is a good example of the work he made during this period. The violin player is a subject that often recurs in Chagall‘s work. The large figure of the musician in this painting stands with one foot on the roof of a building and the other on a low hilltop, creating a two-dimensional effect. By including the houses in the background alongside the musician, the painting evokes memories of Russia. Chagall‘s paintings from his Parisian period often depict scenes from Russia in which influences from his new surroundings are incorporated. Cubist influences can be found in the flat surfaces and geometric shapes as well as in the non-traditional perspective. (Stedelijk Museum)