Chagall chose to use color as a main focal point in his art, manipulating colors, shading, tones and using various techniques to exaggerate color. But, I also believe his imagination was not the only driving force used to create his paintings. We have to consider that Vitebsk at that period in time was a hub within the Pale of Settlement. Vitebsk was diverse in the cultures of the region and a large manufacturer of clothing, which means various colors may have been prominently seen within the town. So, I believe Chagall may have used visual memory to help produce the colorful aspect in his works.
Art in Vitebsk was prominent even before Marc Chagall. Vitebsk was a haven for peoples of the region and surrounding areas. Author Aleksandra Shatskikh stated, "Jewish and Russian artists were born and nurtured in the artistic direction within Vitebsk" (Shatskikh 18). This was largely due to the overwhelming efforts of artist Yuri Moiseevich Pen. Pen opened an art school and center within the town where young Marc Chagall was discovered. When Marc Chagall created the painting Maternity (Pregnant Woman), he chose to portray a pregnant woman possibly Jewish or Russian, living within Vitebsk. He incorporated multiple elements from the visual memory of his youth. He used specific characters, designs and colorful clothing, to possibly show the overall culture and the town of Vitebsk.
Marc Chagall once quoted, "Only love interests me, and I am only in contact with things that revolve around love." Because of that quote, I believe he chose to reflect his culture, his people and his life within his art, which spawned his artistic creative imagination. Through this masterpiece of art, I believe he pays homage to the town of Vitebsk. A town that re-envisioned the visual world. The chosen painting selection is the piece Maternity (Pregnant Woman) created by Vitebsk artist Marc Chagall in 1913.
