I and the Village

Typically I am drawn to realism and hyper-realism and am opposed to the idea of two-dimensional like work, but I actually admire this piece and think that it is interesting in its own way. I admire this piece a lot because it tells a story in an abstract and cubist-inspired way. The piece is very geometrical and presents a lot of shapes. The hues are very contemporary and add on to the idea of this piece presenting a story. I think that the concept is interesting which I discovered when reading about the piece on the source I found it from. The description of the piece reads "In the village, peasants and animals lived side by side, in a mutual dependence here signified by the line from peasant to cow, connecting their eyes. The peasant's flowering sprig, symbolically a tree of life, is the reward of their partnership. For Hasids, animals were also humanity's link to the universe, and the painting's large circular forms suggest the orbiting sun, moon (in eclipse at the lower left), and earth." The piece itself is an experience from the artist, which I think makes this piece even stronger. In other words, there are no made up characters or a made up theme or story, but there is a real and pure story behind the piece. The piece illustrates the relationship between the animals and the peasants that was created from the fact that they lived side by side. The green hue on the subject of the person illustrates the concept of a peasant very well. The red hue signifies the bonding relationship that has formed between the two. I think this piece was very well thought out and it makes sense. Every detail and every symbol plays a role in this piece, and the hues work together very well.


Image derived from: Chagall, Marc. I and the Village. 1911. Painting. Museum of Modern Art, Chicago, Illinois. Web. 9 Dec 2013. <http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=78984>.