How the daughter of a St. Petersburg jeweler taught Marc Chagall to fly: Beautiful Bella Rosenfeld

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

They fell in love in 1909 in St. Petersburg. Bella Rosenfeld, who was the 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy jeweler, and Mark, seven years her senior, still attending art school. They were both born and raised in Vitebsk. And they never saw each other. Two from completely different worlds. And for both, it was love at first sight. According to Chagall, their love began at the moment when they first saw each other, and lasted 35 years.

Bella's family

Bella Rosenfeld (1895-1944) - writer and wife of the famous Marc Chagall. Bella was born in Vitebsk and was the youngest of eight children of Shmuel Noah and Alta Rosenfeld. Her parents, the owners of a successful jewelry business, were members of the Hasidic community and led a family life in accordance with Jewish tradition. However, they preferred a secular education for their children. Bella graduated from a Russian-language school, and then entered the Faculty of Literature at Moscow University. She was a brilliant student. During this period, Bella's interests were determined - theater and art (she wrote articles on these topics for the university newspaper).

Love at first sight

In 1909 Bella was staying with her friends in St. Petersburg and there she met her true love - Marc Chagall, then a poor and little-known artist. They were only 20 years old. Love at first sight was mutual and soon they got engaged. Chagall was fascinated by Bella: he admired her ivory skin and large black eyes. Bella Rosenfeld herself experienced the purest sincere feelings for this boy with unkempt curls and the look of a fox in sky-blue eyes.

Bella Rosenfeld described her meeting with Marc Chagall in the following way: “When you glimpse his eyes, you notice that they are blue like the sky. They were strange eyes … long, almond-shaped … and each of them seemed to float on its own, like a small boat. " Chagall himself recalled this meeting no less romantically: “Her silence is mine. Her eyes are mine. As if she has known me for a long time."

Bella, the daughter of a wealthy jeweler, grew up in an atmosphere of serenity, tranquility and security. But Mark's family was far from rich. His father worked diligently in a herring shop trying to provide for his nine children and wife. However, when Bella and Mark met, they felt that they were meant for each other - it really was love at first sight (as is usually the case in every great love story). The Rosenfelds were unhappy with their daughter's choice, but that did not stop the young couple from concluding his marriage in 1915. On July 25, 1915, Marc Chagall celebrated his wedding to Bella Rosenfeld, the woman who became his greatest love and inspiration. And already in 1916 their first-born was born - the girl Ida. After the end of the First World War, they moved to France, where Chagall spread his picturesque wings.

Chagall's muse

Bella was not only a wife for Chagall, but also a muse and favorite model of her husband. Bella's influence on the artist's artistic work was significant. So much so that at 22, Chagall became a student of the Russian artist Leon Bakst. He was famous in Europe for his drawings, paintings and decors. The works of Marc Chagall are impressive in their variety and defy strict classification. The author's style, which includes an unconventional artistic manner, was influenced by Cubism, Fauvism and Orphism. The artist's religious commitment can also be seen in his works.

True to his style, Marc Chagall experimented with different techniques and genres throughout his life. His creative heritage includes book illustrations, graphics, scenography, mosaics, stained glass windows, sculpture and ceramics. The original works of Marc Chagall adorn the largest theaters in the world. In 1964, the artist painted the ceiling of the Palais Garnier Paris Opera House. In 1966, he created the frescoes Triumph of Music and Sources of Music for the New York Metropolitan Opera.

Marc Chagall was one of the first painters to use easel painting to create theatrical scenery. And he achieved all these successes with his muse. A significant part of the artist's works is dedicated to Bella Rosenfeld, regardless of whether they were written during the girl's life, or after her death.

The strength and depth of Mark and Bella are captured in the artist's canvases. Very often Chagall portrayed himself and Bella flying over cities. As if the love they shared was stronger than gravity itself. One of his most outstanding works is undoubtedly Above the City. Here they both hover over Vitebsk, a small hometown that is so dear to them.

Another masterpiece by Chagall with Bella floating in the air is Birthday. Bella described this picture as follows: “And now we both begin to swim in unison in this colorful room. We want to break out. The blue sky and clouds are calling us."

The theme of the bride is central to the work of Marc Chagall. This is due to the artist's pure and deep feelings for Bella. The bride in Chagall's canvases is represented by a flying figure, which seems to be absorbing the canvas. The constant use of this plot suggests that the artist really adored his "bride" - Bella. Rosenfeld became a goddess who was praised and worshiped. During life and after death.

Memory of Bella

Bella Chagall died in 1944 in the United States from a viral infection. Marc Chagall, crushed with sadness, did not paint for a year after the death of his beloved. Marc Chagall published some of the writings of his beloved in 1946 (the collection Burning Lights). Moreover, he kept her notebook, which he continued to illustrate for the next 20 years! Chagall filled blank pages with touching colorful portraits.