‘The fact that I made use of cows, milkmaids, roosters and provincial Russian architecture as my source forms is because they are part of the environment from which I spring and which undoubtedly left the deepest impression on my visual memory of the experiences I have’
Incorporating some of his most iconic motifs such as the bridal couple, violinist, rooster and bouquet, Les mariés au-dessus du village, is a beautiful example of Chagall's creative oeuvre.
Suffused with a soulful blue, the palette of the present work reinforces the themes of reflection and nostalgia that are found throughout his career. In light of this, we could assume that the provincial town in the background of the work represents the town of his birth Vitebsk, with the bride floating above, a trope for his first wife and muse Bella. Yet, in and amongst the scene's painful odes to loss and memory, Chagall peppers the composition with reminders of his present feelings of contentment and love - most prominently through the floral bouquet and the warm inviting reds and oranges that surround it.
Chagall's use of this colour in association with his creative vocabulary and motifs results in a vividly descriptive work that represents as much of Chagall's past as it did of his feelings at the present t.mes
.