Houses at Vitebsk 1917

Marc Chagall captured this view of ‘Houses at Vitebsk’ using oil on canvas. I can imagine Chagall standing here, squinting at the light. It's not a bright sunny day, but diffused light is good for painting. The artist is drawn to the weathered wood, the textures of the houses, the peeling paint. He mixes a warm earthy tone to capture the ground, and then that flash of blue! That impossibly vivid blue house is like a dream within a dream, just sitting there. I wonder, did he see that colour or did he make it up? I think he made it up. That blue is the spirit of the place—or the spirit he wished it could be, glowing amidst the browns and greys, a colour that sings. It’s like he’s saying that even in the most ordinary of places, there is still room for a little bit of magic.