Skip to Content
Closed now, next open tomorrow. Closed now, next open tomorrow.

Vitebsk, the Old Man Over the Village

A work made of black fiber-tipped pen and brush and black ink, with white gouache, over graphite, on off-white wove paper.
© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Image actions

  • A work made of black fiber-tipped pen and brush and black ink, with white gouache, over graphite, on off-white wove paper.

Date:

c. 1914

Artist:

Marc Chagall
French, born Belarus, 1887-1985

About this artwork

Written in Hebrew above the snowy sky is the name of the city of Vitebsk, Marc Chagall’s birthplace. Often present in Chagall’s cityscapes is the image of the “wandering Jew,” carrying his cane and a sack of belongings on his back. Produced when Chagall was in Paris, this drawing can be seen as an image of the artist metaphorically carrying his home with him.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Marc Chagall

Title

Vitebsk, the Old Man Over the Village

Place

France (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1909–1919

Medium

Black fiber-tipped pen and brush and black ink, with white gouache, over graphite, on off-white wove paper

Inscriptions

Signed recto, lower half, in black fiber-tipped pen: "Chagall"; verso, lower left, in pen and black ink: "CHAGALL"; inscribed recto, upper center, in black felt-tipped pen and graphite and brush and black ink (in Hebrew): "Vitebsk"

Dimensions

24.9 × 19.6 cm (9 13/16 × 7 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Dorothy Braude Edinburg to the Harry B. and Bessie K. Braude Memorial Collection

Reference Number

2013.912

Copyright

© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share