We have been to the Piscine in Roubaix quite a few times. This time though a couple of years had flown by since my last visit. It’s one of the townships in the north, devastated by unemployment and since that the Piscine was opened in 2000 has supposedly put « Roubaix » on the map. I’m not so sure.
The swimming pool was constructed between 1927 and 1932. It closed as a swimming pool in 1985, and was remodeled as a museum by the architect Jean-Paul Philippon. A modern entrance, special exhibition space and garden were constructed within the roof-less shell of an adjoining textile factory. When I get to the museum which is about a 10 minutes walk from the central station, the building always looks very gloomy to me, even if described as modern.
One thing is sure that visitors come from all over Europe. As the second part of the Chagall was nearing its end, there were perhaps even more people than usual. To the extent that when I had been in there for over an hour and thought a little something to eat might be a good thing, to my dismay the restaurant was fully booked until 3pm. Might l add that it must hold well over a 100 people.
I have already shared some 5 exhibitions on his work and even one at the Piscine in 2012 :
The Roubaix section of the Chagall exhibition was entitled « Les Sources de la Musique » « The Roots of the Music » . It starts off with the decorative panels created for the Metropolitan Opera in the Lincoln Art Center in New York.
There were over 200 works of art, (paintings, sketches, engravings, ceramics, stained glass….). Whereas the Parisian title was « The Triumph of Music », in Roubaix it was clear that we were to discover where the music had come from.
There were five sections but due to the crowds, I « skipped and danced » backwards and forwards not paying too much attention to which section l was in. However, after quite a long time when the crowds had thinned, I went back to the beginning and slowly walked through each section which was the right thing to do.
1 Roots
Chagall always refers to his musical family on a day to day basis. His grandfather sang, his Uncle Neuss played the violin, his mother sang with the Rabbin on the eve of Shabbat ….Chagall learnt to sing and could it seems have become a singer - he also played the violin - he also danced -there is something very universal about all he could do and well before becoming an artist. Vitebsk was a « musical » town and had a great influence on his artistic life.
 |
| Self portrait - 1911 |
 |
| Mother in front of the bread oven |
 |
| David (his brother who died very early) with mandolin -1914 |
 |
| Winged acrobat - 1935 |
2. Archetypes
There are so many symbols in his work and so many linked to his upbringing as a Hassidism - exaltation of the spirit with prayer, dance, music…
 |
| The Wall of Lamentations -1931 (Look carefully at the middle of the painting...you will see someone else!) |
.
 |
| The Shofar - 1914-15 |
 |
| The Lovers in green -1916-14 |
 |
| Black and Red world 1951 |
it’s obvious that his relationship with his first wife Bella was a very intimate one
the circus too, which sometimes shows gaiety and others anguish ….
 |
| Rider blowing a trump -1918 |
3 Stories
Chagall’s work is full of stories and in the Jewish tradition. He spoke three languages : Russian, Yiddish and French. Each one brings music to his work - but in a different way. Russian, his youth: Yiddish the fabulous jewish traditions: and French, La Fontaine - I showed pictures of his illustrations in the first chapter.
4 Rhythms and Melody
Chagall said, « when l paint, l become a musical note… »his work seems to be perpetually in contact with music literature or the written word - there were so many writers of that period who influenced him…Blaise, Apolliniare, Elgar, Aragon….the different periods in his life also had a marked influence on his work….the war years, his exile to the US, his return…..
 |
| Man with reversed head -1919 |
 |
| Sketch for Purim - 1916- 17 |
  |
| Hommage to Apollinaire 2012 and above, Portrait of Veronca (poet) 1927 |
5 A Monumental score
Now we see this monumental paintings and quite a number of stained glass works…light shines out of these rather like the sound of notes from an organ - it was at the end of his life that André Malraux asked him to develop the ceiling at the opera in Paris…
So you see we have come full circle. Chagall’s work is anything but a circle. You can’t help but recognize it because of the symbols - l have since learnt that there are 52 of them….I think it’s worth noting a few….
The Rooster or the Cock
If you have seen Chagall’s work, one of the first things we note is his love for animals. However, the Rooster seems to play a leading role even to the extent of being the main character in his work. Sometimes, it is Chagall’s double - sometimes it is a couple as in a marriage and there at once the Cock becomes a symbol of love. And again, it can be in a circus scene….many times l have heard that the rooster was a symbol of his childhood…somehow though l feel it could be the flight outside of his daily life? A life of dreams?
 |
| The Man with a bird - 1917 |
The Violin
Is a another recurring symbol. I told you a little earlier than Chagall wanted to be a violinist as a child - as he wanted to become to be a singer, dancer or poet…the violin though was the instrument used traditionally for festive occasions and also used to be played in the streets - it’s little like an artist. Without his palette would he be an artist? And would the violinist be a musician without his violin? Sometimes when the donkey or goat play the violin, are they Chagall’s doubles?
 |
| The violonist - 1908 |
|
| Ajouter une légende |
The Goat,
Chagall was particularly attracted to weaker animals…you quite often see cows, goats, donkeys….in his work - inoffensive animals which end up quite often on our plates…or for sacrifice….such animals describe his rejection of violence and his affection for helpless creatures …..
 |
| Our cow -1911 |
You thought that I would give you 52 descriptions? You thought wrong….but think now how often you see couples, angels, fish, huge eyes, bible scenes… and so many which help us to recognize his work at once….
One thing is sure that visitors come from all over Europe. As the second part of the Chagall was nearing its end, there were perhaps even more people than usual. To the extent that when I had been in there for over an hour and thought a little something to eat might be a good thing, to my dismay the restaurant was fully booked until 3pm. Might l add that it must hold well over a 100 people. 
Commentaires