In the Night

Currently not on view

In the Night

1943

Marc Chagall (French (born Vitebsk, Russian Empire), 1887–1985)

Shortly after marrying Bella Rosenfeld in July 1915, Chagall embarked on a series of wedding portraits that continued until his wife’s premature death from a viral infection in 1944. In the Night, which depicts the newlyweds embracing in a nocturnal scene of Vitebsk, was painted from memory in 1943. Chagall’s depiction of his hometown also includes a whimsical floating cow, barely outlined in the black night sky, and a hanging lamp. The conflation of these interior and exterior elements allows Chagall and Bella to inhabit their own world, where their experience of each other brings back their shared memories of their years together.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

In the Night

Date:

1943

Artist:

Marc Chagall (French (born Vitebsk, Russian Empire), 1887–1985)

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

18 1/2 x 20 5/8 inches (47 x 52.4 cm) Framed: 22 5/8 x 24 3/4 x 2 inches (57.5 x 62.9 x 5.1 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

The Louis E. Stern Collection, 1963

Accession Number:

1963-181-16

Geography:

Made in United States, North and Central America

Provenance

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Currently not on view