My Life

by Marc Chagall

Book Overview

"It is unusual for a painter to display in writing what are recognizably the same characteristics that appear in his pictures, and this is what Chagall succeeds, most delightfully, in doing."--The Atlantic

My Life was written in Moscow in 1921-1922, when Chagall was thirty-five years old. Although long out-of-print, it remains one of the most extraordinarily inventive and beautifully told of all autobiographies...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0306805715
• ISBN13: 9780306805714
• Release Date: March 1994
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Enhances paintings' meaning through poetry and prose

Chagall dreamed of being a poet, and this lucid, evocative autobiography, written when he was just 35 years old, is a poetic explanation of the milieu from which his paintings emerged. Chagall tells the story of his life growing up in the Jewish village of Vitebsk and his early transition to early 20th century Paris. He invokes that post-pogrom, post WWI Jewish world view characterized by cynicsm, dark humor and self-solace, all intensified by the horrors of the holocaust. His telling of the past, suspended as he is between World Wars, foretells the future. Illustrations, poetry and prose converge in this remarkable book. Chagall shows the reader a personal history that shaped his art. In particular, the concept of floating, of beings suspended between here and there, now and then, permeate this book and bring new revelations to the reader when re-viewing Chagall's paintings. All in all, a delightful and fascinating book.

One Of Those Books

One may hear this many times about Marc Chagall's autobiography My Life but it truly is pure poetry. Reading this book I found I didn't have to think at all. His words just sank into my head. He writes about his childhood and the difficulties growing up poor while struggling to make it as an artist. Every word seems to throw you directly into his very thoughts and feelings as he describes his memories growing up. It's a book I would not expect to come from a man whose voice is heard mainly through his paintings. While it's a delightful treat for his fans, it is also an excellent and inspirational read for those who intend to pursue their own love for the arts. Pictures of his artwork are printed throughout the book lending to it, a part of Chagall that many people know and love him for. But in this piece of artwork it's his words not his paintings that are absolutely captivating.

A lyric story of the artist's youth

This small autobiography is a poetic inspiring work. It tells of Chagall's childhood in Vitebsk and his first youthful efforts as an artist. And it also contains within it the great love story of Chagall's life with his first wife Bella. Chagall writes with intensity and strength much the way he paints. The difficulty of his early years is somehow transcended by his devotion to his artistic vocation. This is a recommended work for all those who care about the relation of the artist to his life, and of the creator of great beauty to his artistic task.

Evocative Word-Pictures

MY LIFE is unlike any other autobiography I've read. Who would have thought of Chagall as a poet? As a master of word pictures? There is not a dry, boring sentence in the entire book. Instead, Chagall paints verbal pictures of his youth, his family, his struggles to become an artist. It's must reading for anyone who aspires to remain an artist (painter, writer, dancer . . .). Although the book reads very, very quickly, the poignant feelings it evokes cannot end so quickly. I am haunted by Chagall's painful youth-the poverty, the discouragement he received from many quarters. And yet the autobiography is inspirational, because as a writer, I know that one cannot let go of an unshakable faith in one's calling.

Marc Chagall, the poetry of reality.

This book is an autobiography by Marc Chagall himself. Its a wonderful exploration of Chagall's jewish-russian memories of his beloved village Vitebsk and of his first encounters with the avant-garde in the Paris of the early 20th century. Its a good example of Chagall's sensitivity and of his spirituality. It should be a highly readable book for it is full of poetry, phantasy and hope. At the same time, the reader will be able to meet one the 20th century leading colorists.