Press releases

VITEBSK, 16 July (BelTA) – Vitebsk is gearing up to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the wedding of Marc Chagall and Bella Rosenfeld. The first event has become the exhibition dedicated to the little-researched period in the life of the couple in New York. The event has opened at the Art Space in 7 Tolstogo Street of the Vitebsk Center of Contemporary Art, BelTA learned from director of the center Andrei Dukhovnikov.

Lots of works have been written about the biography of the famous artist. However, not much is known about the period of the life of Marc Chagall and Bella in New York, Andrei Dukhovnikov said. Svetlana, an art citric from Vitebsk (she asked not to reveal her last name out of modesty) visited the places in New York connected with the artist and his muse, their stay in the United States from June 1941 until September 1944 when Bella died. “Also in New York, I met with Chagall’s granddaughter Bella Meyer who lives there. She has her own studio and a flower shop in Manhattan,” added the author of the exposition.

The exhibition "Chagall, Bella and New York" features the photographs of the places where Chagall ad his wife lived or visited: hotels, Central Park next to which the couple rented an apartment, the Museum of Modern Art, the New School which housed the famous Atelier 17 and which Marc Chagall loved to visit, and others.

The exhibition also gives an opportunity to learn about the people who played a big role in the life of Marc and Bella during that period. For example, Alfred Barr, the Director of the Museum of Modern Art, acted as a financial surety provider so that the couple could come over to the United States from France. Pierre Matisse welcomed them in New York as they got off the boat and who arranged three Chagall’s exhibitions in his gallery. Russian choreographer Leonid Massine of the New York Ballet Theater offered Marc Chagall to design the sets and costumes for his new ballet Aleko. The artist created four large backdrops which had a huge success and made him famous in New York.

A series of cultural and festive events called Wedding Extravaganza will be held in Vitebsk on 25 July (the day of the wedding of Marc Chagall and Bella Rosenfeld), and also on 26 July.