Skip to main content

To My Betrothed

1911
Marc Chagall (French (born Vitebsk, Russian Empire), 1887–1985)
To My Betrothed takes as its subject matter the archetypal theme of beauty and the beast. Within a vortex of tangled legs, arms, and other body parts a minotaur-like figure emerges, apparently locked in a wild embrace with a woman whose upside-down head enters the picture at the upper left. The woman directs a stream of “diabolical spittle” (Chagall’s words) into the mouth of the bull-headed man—a pictorial device that recalls the solidified words that flow from the mouth of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary in early Italian Renaissance paintings of the Annunciation.

Object Details

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.