The idea of being a painter came when he first noticed a fellow student drawing. this was a turning point in his life. When he asked the schoolmate about how he learned to draw he replied, “Go and find a book in the library, idiot, choose any picture you like, and just copy it.” Chagall soon began copying images from books and the experience was so rewarding that he decided to become an artist. (Baal-Teshuva, 1998).In 1906 his interest in arts drew him to the studio of Yehuda (Yuri) Pen, who was a realistic artist at that time and ran a small drawing school in Vitebsk. Due to Chagall’s young age and lack of income Pen taught him free of charge. But he was taught portrait painting there, which he later realized did not suit him.

Chagall chose arts to cherish and publicly express Jewish roots through his work. He explained his self-assertion and expression of principles in his artwork. The essay will describe the great painter Marc Chagall’s life, who was he, what was his field of interest, how his paintings revealed his character and how his Jewish background impacted his career?

Marc Chagall moved to St. Petersburg. the capital of Russia, in 1906. The place was the centre of the country’s artistic life and had many famous art schools. There he was enrolled in a prestigious art school and studied for 2 years. By 1907 he had painted naturalistic self-portraits and landscapes. At St. Petersburg, he discovered experimental theatres and the works of other artists including Paul Gauguin. Another Jewish, Leon Bakst, under whom Chagall studied, helped him by acting as a role model for Jewish success. He lived and studied there for 4 years, this was the place from where Chagall entered into the field of contemporary art.

Chagall moved to Paris in 1910, to develop his own artistic style. His style was full of ripe colors, full of sentiments and had a sense of humor. The concepts were new in Paris at that time, thus his work was given encouragement by many poets and artists.