1940

The Crucifixion

French (born Vitebsk, Russian Empire), 1887 - 1985

During the late 1930s Marc Chagall became increasingly aware of the plight of his fellow Jews in Europe and embarked on a series of paintings and works on paper on the theme of the Crucifixion. In these heartfelt works, he altered some of the details associated with this Christian image to awaken the world to the perilous situation of Jewish people in the wake of Nazi persecution and murder. For this version, Chagall stressed Christ’s Jewish identity by replacing his traditional loincloth with a Jewish prayer shawl, while the rooster at his feet alludes to the sacrifices needed to save mankind.