Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall

Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall review Rate it

Contained within the strict geometry of this bunker-like building (designed by Le Corbusier collaborator André Hermant) is the complete set of biblical paintings by Belarusian painter and long-time Riviera resident Marc Chagall. The thematic thread that binds together these vivid canvases is Chagall's interpretation of various episodes from three Old Testament books: the Song of Songs, Genesis and Exodus. Arresting, colourful and otherworldly, these imposing paintings are complemented by the various preparatory sketches made by the artist at the inception of this series, which was designed to transmit, in his own words, 'a certain peace, a certain sense of religion and a sense of life's meaning'. First-rate temporary exhibitions, such as 2007's critically acclaimed 'Monsters, Chimeras and Hybrids', flesh out other aspects of Chagall's formidable oeuvre. A beautiful amphitheatre at the back of the museum holds small-scale acoustic concerts against a backdrop of blue stained glass designed specifically for the venue by Chagall himself.