Art of the Day Presentation The Blue Circus, 1950 Marc Chagall The Blue Circus, 1950 Marc Chagall Presented by Lacey Bigelow

Marc Chagall  Born in 1897 in Russia  97 years old  Relocated to France at the age of 23  Known as the premier Jewish artist of the 20 th century  Experimented with all art mediums- stain glass, stage sets, ceramics, tapestries, and book illustrations  Born in 1897 in Russia  97 years old  Relocated to France at the age of 23  Known as the premier Jewish artist of the 20 th century  Experimented with all art mediums- stain glass, stage sets, ceramics, tapestries, and book illustrations

The Blue Circus  During the 1950s Chagall was very fascinated with paintings scenes from the circus.  He enjoyed the chaos and vibrant colors, which is why most of his paintings during that time revolved around the circus.  Chagall included not only performers from the circus, but also objects from his past.  During the 1950s Chagall was very fascinated with paintings scenes from the circus.  He enjoyed the chaos and vibrant colors, which is why most of his paintings during that time revolved around the circus.  Chagall included not only performers from the circus, but also objects from his past.

Setting & Color Pink Flowers Predominantly Blue- Underwater

Setting & Color Pink Flowers Red Costume on Main Character Predominantly Blue- Underwater

Setting & Color Pink Flowers Red Costume on Main Character Green Horse Predominantly Blue- Underwater

Setting & Color Pink Flowers Red Costume on Main Character Green Horse Moon Predominantly Blue- Underwater

Light Beam of Light- Spotlight from above

Light Beam of Light- Spotlight from above Outlying figures subtly highlighted

Light Beam of Light- Spotlight from above Rays from the Moon Outlying figures subtly highlighted

Angle Main Character- only frontal view

Angle Main Character- only frontal view Other Characters- seen from side view

Proportion Main Character- dominant

Proportion Main Character- dominant Horse- dominant

Proportion Main Character- dominant Horse- dominant Horse & Woman seeing eye to eye

Proportion Main Character- dominant Horse- dominant Horse & Woman seeing eye to eye Fish- dominant

Proportion Main Character- dominant Horse- dominant Horse & Woman seeing eye to eye Fish- dominant Moon- smaller than in reality

Placement Woman- In the spotlight hanging on a trapeze bar

Placement Woman- In the spotlight hanging on a trapeze bar Horse- runs off the painting

Placement Woman- In the spotlight hanging on a trapeze bar Horse- runs off the painting Connecting circle between main components

… So What Does All of This Mean?

… So What Does All of This Mean? Main character- valuable part of life, gently gliding off the trapeze into a new part of her life

… So What Does All of This Mean? Main character- valuable part of life, gently gliding off the trapeze into a new part of her life Green- new beginnings, the woman is focused on the future while being peaceful and serene.

… So What Does All of This Mean? One’s past plays an important role in creating an individual, gives security, and contributes to success. Main character- valuable part of life, gently gliding off the trapeze into a new part of her life Green- new beginnings, the woman is focused on the future while being peaceful and serene.

… So What Does All of This Mean? One’s past plays an important role in creating an individual, gives security, and contributes to success. Music, nature, and creativity play an important part in happiness and in having a complete and balanced life. Main character- valuable part of life, gently gliding off the trapeze into a new part of her life Green- new beginnings, the woman is focused on the future while being peaceful and serene.

… So What Does All of This Mean? One’s past plays an important role in creating an individual, gives security, and contributes to success. Music, nature, and creativity play an important part in happiness and in having a complete and balanced life. Main character- valuable part of life, gently gliding off the trapeze into a new part of her life Green- new beginnings, the woman is focused on the future while being peaceful and serene. Light illuminates the woman and is part of the continuum of her life, her “bright future”.

Character: In the painting The Blue Circus by Marc Chagall, the main character is a woman who is upside down laying across a trapeze bar. She is a young, beautiful circus performer who appears to be floating underwater. The woman is still in her costume and has just finished a performance and has received flowers from the audience. She looks very peaceful and mystical almost like someone in a dream. She is at the center of all of the activity around her as if she is the queen of the circus. This is a chaotic atmosphere filled with many exotic creatures. Other characters in this painting are wispy circus performers, a large fish, and a chicken playing a drum. The other large character featured is a horse-headed sea serpent who is gazing into the eyes of the protagonist of the painting. The theme of music seems to be represented as there are multiple violins floating throughout the painting as well as the drum. Another inanimate object which seems to have an eye, is the moon. All of the characters are in action and seem to relate to one another floating around the woman in the center. Color: The predominate color in the painting is blue, hence the title, The Blue Circus. There are many varying shades of blue throughout the overall image. There are also some bright colors that are a sharp contrast against the blue. The main character has a bright red costume and also has bright red cheeks. She is wearing a blue skirt which is the only thing that blends into the background. Another use of vibrant color is the emerald green face and neck of the sea serpent. The green color on the sea serpent changes to a blue after it fades away from the light. The moon emanates a bright yellow light on one side while the second half is a bright white. The circus lady has a touch of bright yellow on her arm which is a reflection from the moon shining onto her. The only other bright color is the purple and green of the flower wreath. Chagall has highlighted the parts of the painting that deserve the most focus in rich contrasting colors. In contrast the blues create a dreamlike and comfortable feeling that allows the viewer to feel like they’re floating under the sea. Light: Most of the painting seems to be muted blues without much light illuminating it. However, the main character who is the female circus performer definitely has light shining on her. The light mainly highlights her arms that are outstretched and her face. Also illuminated is the sea serpent’s head, the entire moon, and the bouquet of flowers also has some light shining upon it. The light source is coming from above in a straight diagonal beam. The main character is lying across the light source which means she is the star of the show. The light source is the sun that pierces through the water. The farther away the object is from the main character, the darker it becomes. Angle: As a viewer you are looking down onto the scene from above which gives the perception that the circus is floating down into the ocean. The main character is the only one we see shown completely from the front, giving her special significance. The other circus performers, the moon, fish, and the sea serpent are all seen from the side. There are parts hidden from view and objects that cover each other. For example, part of a woman disappears behind a large fish and somehow a hand emerges. The body of the sea serpent is never fully seen as it disappears off the painting. A particular shape that is repeated throughout the painting is a circle. The circles are predominantly featured on the females, in the moon, and also as part of a drum. Proportion: The subject that is the biggest and most dominant in the painting is the woman circus performer. The sea serpent’s head is also very large especially compared to the moon which in reality is very large. Also, the fish in the painting is quite large compared to all the small, intricate objects located around it. Although there are fish that are that big, this one seems especially large in this image. However, the wispy circus performers that are strewn throughout the painting are fairly small and often very hard to see. The woman is placed across what appears to be a beam of light. Placement: The main woman circus performer is located in a “spotlight” in the center of the image. She is shown as a whole however, the sea serpent below is cropped out of the image enabling us to see how large it truly is. The sea serpent and woman seem to be the main focus of the image whereas everything else seems to be revolving around those two characters. All of the characters including the rooster, fish, and the moon are all looking in the distance away from the center of the painting. However, the sea serpent and circus performer are looking into each other's eyes almost in a daze. They appear to be oblivious to everything going on around them and are only focused on one another. Setting: This painting takes place underwater because of the atmosphere with all the different kinds of sea creatures. The woman in the center of the image is floating peacefully almost looking like a mermaid while the sea serpent is entranced by her. The image also contains a lot of blue which gives it a sense that everything is underwater. Although we don’t really know what time of day this takes place, it has to be during the day because the sun's still shining through the water above. Also the strip of light gradually gets darker as it plunges deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean. You can notice the contrast of blues getting darker the farther into the image you go. Also you can see the difference in sea creatures from a normal fish that can be seen on the surface of the water to a sea serpent that lurks far below the surface.