Les mariés au-dessus du village c. 1980

Marc Chagall painted Les mariés au-dessus du village with oil on canvas and a sense of joyful abandon. It looks like he built up the painting slowly, with layers of hazy blues and then pops of colour, like that vibrant red sun. This feels right, because artmaking is a kind of slow dance - a conversation between layers and intentions. Up close, you can see how the paint is applied in these thin washes, creating a dreamy atmosphere. But then there are sharp, darker outlines and details, like on the violinist, which create a sense of depth and movement. It’s like the whole painting is vibrating with music. That patch of blue on the top left corner, almost like a cloud, is so delicious, the way it blends into the sky but still has a textural presence. Chagall reminds me of another artist, Paul Klee, who also had this childlike way of depicting the world. But where Klee is more playful and geometric, Chagall is all heart and emotion. His paintings remind us that art is not about fixed meanings, but about embracing the multiple possibilities of seeing.