| 1887 |
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Marc Chagall is born on July 7th in Lyozno, a village near Vitebsk, Russia. His father is a clerk at a herring warehouse. |
| 1906 |
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Leaves the Jewish elementary school and begins studies at Jehuda Pen's school of painting in Vitebsk. Moves to St. Petersburg where he struggles as a photographer's apprentice. Attends the School of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. |
| 1907 |
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Chagall moves to St. Petersburg where he struggles as a photographer's apprentice. Attends the School of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. |
| 1908 |
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Pupil of Leon Bakst at the Swansewa Art School in St. Petersburg. Chagall discovers van Gough, Cezanne, Gauguin and the Impressionist movement. |
| 1909 |
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Meets Bella Rosenfeld in Vitebsk, his future wife. |
| 1910 |
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With Bakst works on scenery for the ballet Narcisse planned for the 1911 season of Diaghilev's Les Ballets Russes. Departs Russia for Paris where he settles in a studio at the Impasse du Maine. Studies at several art schools including La Palette and La Grande Chaumiere. Becomes close friends with fellow painters Robert and Sonia Delaunay. |
| 1911 |
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Marc Chagall moves into a studio in an artist's settlement in Montparnasse known as La Ruche (The Beehive). Meets and befriends the writers Blaise Cendrars, Max Jacob and Guillaume Apollinaire. Paints his first great masterpieces including To Russia, Asses and others. |
| 1912 |
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Participates in the Salon des Independents and the Salon d'Automne. |
| 1913 |
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Chagall is introduced to Herwarth Walden by Apollinaire. Meets fellow artists Soutine and Modigliani at La Ruche. |
| 1914 |
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Herwarth Walden gives Chagall an important exhibition at his Der Sturm gallery in Berlin. After the opening of this exhibition Chagall returns to Russia to marry Bella and becomes trapped by the onset of WWI and the Russian Revolution. |
| 1915 |
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Marries Bella Rosenfeld in Vitebsk on July 25th, they later move to St. Petersburg where Marc takes a position in the Office of War Economy which exempts him from military service. |
| 1916 |
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Birth of daughter, Ida. Contributes to the exhibition Jack-of-Diamonds (a group of avant-garde artists) in Moscow and to an exhibition of Contemporary Russian Art in St. Petersburg. |
| 1917 |
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After the October Revolution returns to Vitebsk and contributes to an exhibition local artists. |
| 1918 |
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Appointed Commisar for the Arts in Vitebsk. Founds an art academy and a museum in Vitebsk. |
| 1919 |
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Official opening of the Vitebsk Academy on January 28th, professors in addition to Marc Chagall include Dobuzhinsky, Puni and Pen. Later, a new rector for the school, Ermolaeva, is appointed by the authorities in St. Petersburg. El Lissitzky and Kasimir Malevich join the faculty. Artistic differences emerge between Chagall and this group of Suprematists. |
| 1920 |
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Marc Chagall resigns from position and moves to Moscow, where he designs sets and costumes for the stage at the Kameray State Jewish Theatre and is commissioned to paint several large murals for the Theatre. |
| 1921 |
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Chagall teaches drawing at two colonies for war orphans near Moscow, lives with his family in one of them and begins to write his autobiography, Mein Leben (My Life). A famine spreads throughout Russia killing thousands of people. |
| 1922 |
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Chagall flees Russia, never to reside there again, going first to Berlin to unsuccessfully search for the paintings he had left behind with Herwarth Walden. In Berlin he is joined by Bella and Ida. Paul Cassirer commissions Chagall to illustrate My Life with a series of 20 etchings; these are his first engraved works. |
| 1923 |
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The My Life etchings are published in Berlin by Cassirer but without a text due to translation problems. Marc Chagall returns to Paris and is commissioned by Ambroise Vollard to execute 96 etchings on the theme of Nikolai Gogol's novel Dead Souls. |
| 1924 |
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First Paris retrospective at the Galerie Barbazauges-Hodebert. Meets Picasso for the first time. Is encouraged by Max Ernst, Paul Eluard and Gala to join the Surrealist movement but declines, preferring to remain apart from it. Andre Breton publishes the Surrealist Manifesto. The Soviet Union is governed by the Triumvirate: Stalin, Kamenev and Zinoviev. |
| 1925 |
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Chagall spends most of his time on the etchings for the Dead Souls. Exhibitions in Cologne and Dresden. |
| 1926 |
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Vollard commissions Chagall to engrave 100 etchings to illustrate La Fontaine's Fables. The artist begins by creating about 100 gouaches on this theme to serve as maquettes. First one man exhibition in New York at Reinhardt Gallery. |
| 1927 |
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Vollard asks Chagall to paint gouaches on the theme of the circus with the idea of eventually publishing a book and prints. The artist produces 19 incredible gouaches dubbed the Cirque Vollard. The Dead Souls etchings are printed. Chagall is recognized as a leading painter of the School of Paris and becomes a founding member of the Association des Peintres-Graveurs. |
| 1928 |
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Spends most of his time engraving the Fables. |
| 1929 |
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My Life is translated into French (published in 1931). The Museum of Modern Art opens in New York. |
| 1930 |
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Vollard proposes that Chagall illustrate the Bible with 100 etchings. |
| 1931 |
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Travels to Palestine, Syria and Egypt to research The Bible project. |
| 1932 |
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Visits Holland to study Rembrandt's paintings and etchings, has exhibitions in Amsterdam and The Hague. |
| 1933 |
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Travels to Italy, England and Spain. Large museum retrospective in Switzerland at the Kunsthalle, Basel. Marc Chagall paintings and those of other contemporary artists are burned in Mannheim, Germany by the Nazis on the order of Goebbels. |
| 1934 |
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Exhibition in Prague. Hitler becomes absolute ruler of Germany. |
| 1935 |
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Exhibition in Brussels, London, Paris and Vilna (Poland). While in Vilna, shocked by the isolation of Jews in restricted ghettos of Poland. |
| 1936 |
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In the Soviet Union, Stalin has Kamenev and Zinoviev shot. July 18th, civil war breaks out in Spain. |
| 1937 |
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Becomes a French citizen, partly as a reaction to world events. Travels to Italy. The Exposition Internationale opens in Paris. The Spanish pavilion exhibits sculptures by Miró, and Picasso's Guernica. Teriade publishes the first issue of the art review, Verve. Franco becomes the absolute master of Spain. The Nazis remove Chagall's paintings from German museums. |
| 1938 |
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Retrospective of Chagall's work at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. As a reaction to the growing wave of violence in Europe, paints La Crucifixion Blanche (White Crucifixion) now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. March 12th, Hitler's troops take Austria without resistance. |
| 1939 |
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Awarded first prize by the Carnegie Foundation, Pittsburgh. Moves to the south of France. Ambroise Vollard dies in an automobile accident. Nazis invade Poland while Britain and France declare war on Germany. |
| 1940 |
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Declines invitation from the Museum of Modern Art to come to New York, same invitation extended to Matisse, Picasso, Masson, Dufy, Rouault and Ernst. June 14th the Nazis enter Paris. |
| 1941 |
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Travels with Bella to Marseilles in an attempt to leave France. Arrested by the Nazis but released due to the intervention of the American Consul General and Head of the Emergency Rescue Committee. June 23rd arrives in New York one day after the Germans invade Russia. Exhibition at Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York. December 7th Japanese raid Pearl Harbor, the U.S. enters the war. |
| 1942 |
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Travels to Mexico with Bella where he designs the sets and costumes for Stravinsky's ballet Aleko after a novella by Alexander Pushkin. An exhibition entitled Artists in Exile is held in New York. Participants include: Chagall, Leger, Tanguy, Zadkine, Ernst and Breton. |
| 1943 |
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Deeply afflicted by the war paints a series of disturbing paintings, including: The Yellow Crucifixion, currently owned by the National Museum of Modern Art, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. |
| 1944 |
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September 2nd, Bella unexpectedly dies. Overcome with grief stops work for ten months. June 6th, Allied troops land in Normandy. |
| 1945 |
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With the support of his daughter Ida, begins to paint again. Begins work on his first color lithographs Four Tales from the Arabian Nights. Designs sets and costumes for Stravinsky's Firebird performed by the Ballet Theatre, New York. |
| 1946 |
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A retrospective is held at the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Art Institute of Chicago. |
| 1947 |
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Returns to Paris. Retrospective exhibition at the Musee National d'Art Moderne, Paris. |
| 1948 |
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Four Tales from the Arabian Nights is published in New York. Awarded the Grand Prix de Gravure at the Venice Biennale. Definitive return to France. Becomes close friends with the publisher Teriade, who suggests the illustration of Daphnis and Chloe with color lithographs. |
| 1949 |
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Commissioned to paint several murals for the Watergate Theatre, London. Buys a small estate, La Colline in Vence, and produces his first ceramics at Vallauris. |
| 1950 |
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Begins a focused study of lithography at the studio of Fernand Mourlot, Paris. Meets Charles Sorlier who will become his close associate on lithography for the next 35 years. |
| 1951 |
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Travels to Israel where a retrospective exhibition is held in Jerusalem. Carves first sculptures. |
| 1952 |
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Marries Valentina (Vava) Brodsky on July 12th. Commissioned by the publisher Teriade to illustrate Daphnis and Chloe with 42 color lithographs. Travels to Greece with Vava on their honeymoon and begins preliminary studies for Daphnis and Chloe. Accepts many important institutional commissions including: murals for the Metropolitan Opera in New York, tapestries for the Parliament in Jerusalem and the mural for the ceiling of the Paris Opera House. |
| 1953 |
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Paints gouache maquettes for Daphnis and Chloe. Begins work on large scale paintings for Musee national Message Biblique, Nice, and his Paris Series through 1956. |
| 1954 |
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Second visit to Greece to work on Daphnis and Chloe studies. Travels to Italy where he is deeply moved by the works of Titian and Tintoretto. |
| 1955 |
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Frequent trips to Paris to work on lithography. Concentrates at home on paintings for the Musee national Message Biblique. Exhibitions in Cannes, Hanover and Rome. |
| 1956 |
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Teriade publishes the etchings for The Bible. Concentrated work on lithography. Major museum retrospective at the Kunsthalles in Basel and Bern, Switzerland. |
| 1957 |
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Focused work on Daphnis and Chloe lithographs at Mourlot, Paris through 1960. Visits Israel. Retrospective exhibition of his engravings at the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. |
| 1958 |
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Designs sets and costumes for Ravel's ballet Daphnis and Chloe for the Paris Opera. Meets Charles Marq and begins to paint maquettes for stained-glass windows for the Cathedral of Metz. |
| 1959 |
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Retrospective at the Museum of Decorative Arts, Palais du Louvre, Paris. Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. |
| 1960 |
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First stained-glass window completed for the Cathedral of Metz. Begins work on stained-glass windows for the Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem. |
| 1961 |
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Teriade publishes Daphnis and Chloe lithographs. The Twelve Tribes of Israel stained-glass windows for Jerusalem are exhibited at the Museum of Decorative Arts, Palais du Louvre, Paris and travels to the Museum of Modern Art, New York. |
| 1962 |
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Journey to Israel for the inauguration of The Twelve Tribes of Israel stained-glass windows. Completion of the second stained-glass window for the Cathedral of Metz. |
| 1963 |
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Begins work on the ceiling of the Paris Opera. Retrospective exhibition at National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. |
| 1964 |
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Ceiling of the Paris Opera is completed and inaugurated. Travels to New York for the unveiling of the Peace stained-glass window commissioned by the United Nations. |
| 1965 |
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Designs sets and costumes for Mozart's The Magic Flute and murals for the Metropolitan Opera, New York. Awarded an Honorary Degree by Notre-Dame University, Indiana. |
| 1966 |
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Moves from Vence to Saint-Paul-de-Vence near Nice and the Cote d'Azur. Eight stained-glass windows of the Prophets installed at the Church at Pocantico Hills, New York. |
| 1967 |
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Travels to New York for the unveiling of his murals at the Metropolitan Opera and the premier of The Magic Flute. Retrospective exhibitions honoring his 80th birthday in Zurich, Cologne and the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Teriade publishes The Circus. |
| 1968 |
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Designs a mosaic mural on the theme of Homer's Odyssey for Nice University. |
| 1969 |
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Foundation stone laid for the Musee national Message Biblique, Nice. Travels to Israel for the opening of the Knesset building in Jerusalem and the unveiling of floor and wall mosaics and three tapestries. |
| 1970 |
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A large retrospective Hommage a Marc Chagall at the Musee du Grand-Palais, Paris. Begins work on stained-glass windows for the Fraumunster temple in Zurich. |
| 1971 |
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Attends the unveiling of the Fraumunster windows in Zurich. Exhibition of lithographs in Zurich. Works on a huge mosaic mural for the Musee national Message Biblique, Nice. |
| 1972 |
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Designs stained-glass windows for the concert hall of the Musee national Message Biblique, Nice. Exhibition of lithographs at the Museum of Budapest. Four Seasons mosaic mural commissioned by First National Bank of Chicago. |
| 1973 |
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On July 7th the artist's 86th birthday, inauguration of the Musee national Message Biblique Marc Chagall, Nice. Travels to Moscow and Leningrad at the invitation of the Soviet Minister of Culture. Exhibition of lithographs at the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. |
| 1974 |
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Inauguration of the stained-glass windows for the Cathedral of Reims. Retrospective of engraved works (prints) at the National Gallery, East Berlin and Dresden. The Four Seasons mosaic mural unveiled in Chicago. |
| 1975 |
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Publication of The Odyssey containing lithographs. Finishes work on the stained-glass windows for the Chapelle des Penitents in Sarrebourg, France. |
| 1976 |
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Travels to Florence where one of his self-portraits is hung in the permanent collection of the Uffizi Museum. |
| 1977 |
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Awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur. Exhibition at the Louvre, Paris. Works on stained-glass windows for the Art Institute of Chicago. |
| 1978 |
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Exhibition of recent work at the Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Unveiling of stained-glass windows at the Church of St. Etienne, Mayence and Chichester Cathedral, Sussex, England. |
| 1979 |
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Unveiling of stained-glass windows at the Art Institute of Chicago. |
| 1980 |
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Exhibition of prints and monotypes at the Musee Rath, Geneva. |
| 1982 |
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Retrospectives at the Moderna Museet, Stockholm and the Louisianer Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, (Denmark). |
| 1984 |
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Oeuvres sur papier (Works on Paper) exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. Chagall attends the opening on what would prove to be his last trip to Paris. |
| 1985 |
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A retrospective exhibition at the Royal Academy, London. Dies on March 28th at home in Saint-Paul-de Vence. |
