Created only two years after Marc Chagall’s arrival in Paris, I and the Village represents an experimental vision that combines early European modernism with Eastern European folklore. The creation consists of overlapping geometrical shapes. The work is derived from Cubism styles and has no realistic perspective. Rather, the artwork allows the audience to experience the realm of imagination and the unconscious mind.
The main part of the picture is focused on two images which are connected visually. The first image is a green person who is believed to be Chagall’s self-portrait while the second image is either a goat or a cow. Their eyes are connected through a luminous line which signifies the unique connection that people and animals build in the rural areas. In the background, there is the Hasidic village of Vitebsk which is shown in the position upside-down along with an Orthodox church. In addition to a goat belonging to the first image, there is a small woman depicted on the animal’s cheek. She seems to be milking the cow, creating several images from different time periods and distances. Chagall uses rich unnatural colors to create a dreamlike image.
In conclusion, I and the Village can be considered a true landmark of modernism that manifests the strength of its memory over sensory perception. Using his extraordinary geometrical approach, Chagall was able to create the evocative language of art that embodies the spirit of avant-garde surrealism and expressionism of the early 20th century.
Born in Belarus, Marc Chagall was associated with Ecole de Paris. This painting is one of his earliest surviving works. Created in 1911, I and the Village has figures appearing on a puzzle like layer. The work has a dream-like element which is enhanced by the choice of colours and placement of figures. Its imaginative composition and symbolic motifs exemplify Chagall's unique ability to blend reality with fantasy in a poetic visual language.
