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文英堂　平成１９年度　高等学校英語教科書「UNICORN ENGLISH COURSE Ⅰ」より引用
LESSON9 「CHAGALL: A LIFE OF LOVE AND ART」

I and the Village (1911)
 This painting by Chagall is full of strange images. Why is the big face green? Whose face is it? Why did Chagall paint a small cow on the face of another cow? You can see a few people and buildings. Some of them are upside down. Where do these images come from?
 In the picture, Chagall expressed parts of his life in a unique and interesting way. Most of the images have been created from his childhood memories of his hometown. The face on the right is Chagall himself.
 Chagall was born in 1887 in Vitebsk, a city in Russia. Most people in the city, including his family, were Jewish. Though his family was poor, he had a happy childhood. In 1907, Chagall went to an art school in St. Petersburg. Later in 1910, with little money but big dreams, he left for Paris to study art. While in Paris, he often painted pictures of his hometown. "I and the Village" is one of them.

Birthday (1915)
 The flying young man is Chagall himself, and the woman with a bouquet is Bella, Chagall's fiancee. Of course, Chagall couldn't fly in the air and his neck was not so long. These images are expressing his supreme joy.
 Chagall first met Bella during a trip to his hometown in 1909. It was love at first sight. Before he returned to St. Petersburg, they agreed to marry in the future. Bella was only 14 years old then. During his years in Paris, Chagall was gradually becoming famous. At last in 1914 he decided to return home for Bella.
 Years later, Bella told the story about the painting. "I brought him some flowers for his birthday, but he had completely forgotten that it was his birthday. Suddenly he said, 'Don't move,' and he started painting. Both our hearts were pounding. When he had finished, he said, 'We'll call it "Birthday." I'll have finished a few more pictures of us before our wedding day.'"
 They got married about three weeks after the picture had been painted.

The White Crucifixion (1938)
 When we think of Chagall's works, bright and beautiful pictures come to mind. But this picture expresses a dark and tragic mood. People are running to escape the fighting. Some Jewish buildings are being set on fire. In the center we can see the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. We also see a few Jewish rabbis. Is this just a religious picture?
 Chagall did not live only in a world of beautiful imagery. His pictures sometimes expressed the chaos around him. In his younger days, he had hard times during World War One and the Russian Revolution.
 In 1935, Chagall visited Poland and was shocked to find that the Jewish people were being treated badly. He foresaw great danger for the Jewish people, and the start of another war. He painted pictures warning the world of the danger. Soon after that, World War Two broke out and the Holocaust began. In 1940 the Nazis took over Paris. He feared for his safety and moved to the United States in 1941.

Around Her (1945)
 This picture is both beautiful and sad at the same time. The artist on the left is Chagall. His head is upside down and he looks upset. The woman on the right is Bella. Why is she crying? The girl holding the ball may be Ida, their daughter. The ball looks like the crystal ball of a fortune-teller and contains a scene of their hometown.
 One day in September 1944, Bella suddenly became ill. Two days later, something terrible happened. Bella died. Before that she had been living a cheerful, full life. Their happy life ended 35 years after they had first met.
 Chagall lost all interest for painting, art, and life. He didn't pick up a paintbrush for the next nine months. Finally, he began to paint pictures for the memory of Bella. "Around Her" is the first picture he painted after Bella's death. He kept this picture at his home until his death in 1985.