Marc CHAGALL Le village jaune 41079 1146 часть 4 -- European art Европейская живопись

The composition presents a dreamlike landscape dominated by vibrant, saturated hues. A large, stylized rooster commands immediate attention; its fiery red plumage and elongated beak contribute to a sense of heightened reality or symbolic significance. The bird appears to loom over two figures huddled together in the foreground – a man and a woman whose faces are rendered with an almost melancholic expressiveness. Their clasped hands suggest intimacy and perhaps vulnerability, as they seem dwarfed by the scale of their surroundings.
Behind them, a village is depicted, its buildings simplified into geometric forms bathed in a warm, yellow light that lends the scene its title’s evocative quality. A large, circular form – likely representing the sun or moon – hovers above the village, radiating an intense glow. To the right, a brown animal, possibly a horse or deer, stands calmly, seemingly detached from the emotional intensity of the foreground figures and the symbolic weight of the rooster. A small, white figure with outstretched arms is positioned near the lower-right corner, adding another layer to the narrative ambiguity.
The artist’s use of flattened perspective and distorted proportions creates a sense of unreality, characteristic of expressionist tendencies. The layering of forms – the figures in front of the village, the rooster superimposed on both – suggests a complex interplay between personal experience and collective memory. The color palette, while bright, is not celebratory; rather, it evokes a feeling of nostalgia tinged with sadness.
Subtexts within the painting appear to explore themes of community, intimacy, and perhaps loss or displacement. The rooster could symbolize vitality or a disruptive force, while the village represents a lost homeland or idealized past. The figures’ expressions hint at an underlying sense of longing or quiet despair. The overall effect is one of poignant reflection on memory and belonging, rendered through a distinctive visual language that prioritizes emotional resonance over realistic representation.