La Danse c. 1968

Marc Chagall made this painting, La Danse, sometime between 1941 and 1946. It seems to be made with gouache or watercolor and ink on paper. Look at how lightly Chagall laid in the color, letting the texture of the paper show through! There’s a kind of freedom in the way he approached the mark-making. He doesn’t seem too worried about getting it “right.” This reminds me of the paintings of Joan Miró, both formally and in its joyful spirit. See how the blue wash in the center of the painting creates a kind of atmosphere, like the dancers are floating in the sky over the buildings below? And the bouquet of flowers has such a lightness and luminosity; they're like fluffy clouds. That thick black line that defines the dancers has such a unique character. It’s not exactly elegant, it’s got a certain lumpiness to it. It reminds me that art isn't always about perfection, but about capturing a feeling, a mood, a fleeting moment of joy, like a dance.