A Fantasy of St. Petersburg. Study for backdrop for Scene IV of the ballet Aleko 1942

Marc Chagall made this study for a backdrop using gouache, watercolor, and ink. Born in Belarus, which was then part of the Russian Empire, Chagall spent his life between worlds, a position that profoundly shaped his artistic vision. The scene gives us the city of St. Petersburg, a spectral horse-drawn carriage, and a glowing chandelier, all rendered with an ethereal quality. Chagall was Jewish and, living in Russia, faced anti-Semitism under both Czarist and Soviet regimes. These experiences deeply affected his sense of identity and belonging. Chagall once said, "If I were not a Jew, you see, I would not have been a painter." The dreamlike imagery can be seen as a reflection of Chagall's negotiation of identity and memory, a dreamscape where personal history and cultural displacement intertwine. The figures float, unbound by gravity. The painting evokes a sense of longing, reflecting the universal search for belonging, and the way we carry our histories within us.