Marc Chagall - The Poet - 1911 - 196 x 145 cm - 77 x 57 in - oil on canvas

What an impressive painting!

Only Chagall could convey the delightfully frustrating tussle of the creative process and take spatial considerations to a higher level.

There is much to enjoy this painting.  I think I should limit myself to a vertical integration and some wonderfully placed spatial planes.

The vertical integration begins at the top with a short blue line.  Your eye then connects to another line above the shoulder.  You then continue through the figure.  You also can connect the verticals above the shoulder to a vertical at the bottom.  Chagall offers you choices.

Now to the planes, and I will focus on the area near the hand with the glass.  Do you see a small rectangle just to the left of the glass.  Can you feel it being in front?

The other plane is just below his hand, actually it overlaps the hand.  I hope you can sense different levels.  Note also how the cup integrates or connects with the plane.

There is a lot going on in a Chagall painting, and I will continue in the next posting.