Chagall und der Holocaust

Traces the development of Chagall’s visual language as it relates to the Holocaust. Distinguishes three periods in Chagall’s reactions to Nazism. In the 1920s-30s, while living in Paris, he was concerned about growing German antisemitism, and he was preoccupied with the Holocaust while living in the U.S., both during and after the war, when he also feared for Israel’s future. Although he never depicted the Holocaust directly, he used a visual language inspired by his childhood experience of pogroms. He expressed his fears by portraying fleeing Jews, and used symbols to convey his message concerning the persecution of Jews. The crucified Jewish Christ became one of the dominant themes in his art. Pp. 134-146 contain photographs of paintings.