Marc Chagall was born on July 7, 1887 in Russia.  Chagall studied art in St. Petersburg, Russia and in Paris, France.  In Paris he met and worked with many famous artists.  He was a master of telling stories through his paintings.

Chagall took his childhood memories, and his memories of Russian folk tales and Jewish proverbs and  shaped them into whimsical paintings.  His paintings are filled with images of his imagination and dreams, as well as, reality.  To help create this dreamlike feeling in his paintings, Chagall used

bright, beautiful colors.  To many, his paintings do not make sense because of their odd and unrealistic images and subjects.

Chagall painted a variety of subjects throughout his life.  Some of the most common subjects are fiddlers or violinists on the roofs, floating lovers and angels, animals with human qualities, flying and upside down people, and the circus.  He made his paintings personal by depicting himself as the main figure and his wife as the main woman within his paintings. 

Marc Chagall was a leader of the Surrealist style of painting.  He is one of the most famous artists of all time.  Marc Chagall died on March 28, 1985 at the age of 97.