Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

The Marketplace, Vitebsk

Marc Chagall French, born former Russian Empire, now Belarus
1917
Not on view
After training and exhibiting his art in Paris, Chagall returned to his hometown Vitebsk in 1914 to marry his childhood sweetheart Bella Rosenfeld. His homecoming was prolonged by World War I (1914–18), during which international travel became restricted. Showing a public square, The Marketplace, Vitebsk contrasts the large, opulent Baroque basilica with the modest storefronts and stalls. The painter employs dramatic perspective and uses the intersecting planes and angles of the buildings to move the viewer’s eye playfully throughout the scene, which contains no clear sign of the ongoing deadly conflict.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Marketplace, Vitebsk
  • Artist: Marc Chagall (French (born former Russian Empire, now Belarus), Vitebsk 1887–1985 Saint-Paul-de-Vence)
  • Date: 1917
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 26 × 38 1/4 in. (66 × 97.2 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982
  • Object Number: 1984.433.6
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2026 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
Self-Portrait with Easel, Marc Chagall French, born former Russian Empire, now Belarus, Etching and aquatint
Self-Portrait with Easel
Marc Chagall
1930–31
Saint Peter's Seen From the Pincio, Rome, Henri-Joseph Harpignies French, Pen and black ink, brush, gray and blue-gray washes
Saint Peter's Seen From the Pincio, Rome
Henri-Joseph Harpignies
1856
The Café Terrace, Diego Rivera Mexican, Oil on canvas
The Café Terrace
Diego Rivera
1915
Rooster with Crescent, Marc Chagall French, born former Russian Empire, now Belarus, Lithograph
Rooster with Crescent
Marc Chagall
1957
Glass Horn, Glass, French
Glass Horn
French
19th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.