Four Seasons Chicago. Limited edition poster. Signed lower right and numbered 18/100 lower left. Poster measures 37 in. high x 25 in. wide, (with frame 45.25 in. high x 33.25 in. wide).

To understand Chagall's work, it is necessary to know that he was born a Hasidic Jew, heir to mysticism and a world of the spirit, steeped in Jewish lore and reared in the Yiddish language.  The Hasidim had a special feeling for animals, which they tried not to overburden.  In the mysterious world of Kabbala and fantastic ancient legends of Chagall's youth, the imaginary was as important as the real.  His extraordinary use of color also grew out of his dream world; he did not use color realistically, but for emotional effect and to serve the needs of his design.  Most of his favorite themes, though superficially light and trivial, mask dark and somber thoughts. The circus he views as a mirror of life; the crucifixion as a tragic theme, used as a parallel to the historic Jewish condition, but he is perhaps best known for the rapturous lovers he painted all his life.  His love of music is a theme that runs through his paintings.