The Flying Lovers: Bella Rosenfeld and Marc Chagall's Paintings of Love and Loss
In 1909, Marc Chagall encountered Bella Rosenfeld in Saint Petersburg, declaring it was love at first sight. At just 19, Rosenfeld was the daughter of a prosperous jeweler and was captivated by Chagall's striking blue eyes. Seven years her senior, Chagall relocated to Paris in 1911 to pursue art but faced challenges with the language barrier and longed for Bella. He returned to Vitebsk in 1914 and wed Rosenfeld in 1915 after gaining her parents' approval. She became his inspiration, and their daughter, Ida, was born in 1916. Following World War I, they moved to France, where their romance fueled Chagall's creativity. They fled to the U.S. during World War II, but Bella succumbed to an untreated infection, prompting Chagall to honor her memory through his art.
Key facts
- Marc Chagall and Bella Rosenfeld met in Saint Petersburg in 1909 and both said it was love at first sight.
- Bella was the 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy Jewish jeweler; Chagall was seven years older and an art student.
- Chagall moved to Paris in 1911 to study art, leaving Bella behind.
- He returned in 1914 and married Bella in 1915.
- Their daughter Ida was born in 1916.
- After World War I, they moved to France.
- During World War II, they escaped to the United States with Ida's help.
- Bella died in the US from an untreated viral infection due to wartime medicine shortages; Chagall illustrated her notebook for 20 years afterward.
Entities
Artists
- Marc Chagall
- Bella Rosenfeld
- Ida
- Jacob Baal-Teshuva
Institutions
- Tretyakov Gallery
Locations
- Saint Petersburg
- Russia
- Paris
- France
- Berlin
- Germany
- Vitebsk
- Belarus
- Moscow
- United States