FERRARA.- Stepping through the grand doors of the Palazzo dei Diamanti today is not just a walk into a historic Renaissance palace; it is an immediate, intoxicating immersion into the kaleidoscopic soul of Marc Chagall. The major new exhibition, “Chagall: Witness of His Time,” which opened on October 11, 2025, is a profound and emotionally resonant journey that reveals the master painter not just as the poet of dreamy, floating lovers, but as a keenly perceptive observer of a turbulent century.

For art lovers and those new to the 20th-century genius, the show—running until February 8, 2026—promises a perspective that bridges the gap between Chagall’s seemingly simple, magical scenes and the deep, universal themes of his life. Through 200 works, including paintings, drawings, and engravings, alongside spectacular immersive rooms, visitors are invited to witness how a man who experienced exile, war, and loss transformed his personal history into shared human reflection.

The Duality of Existence: Poet and Witness

Marc Chagall (Vitebsk, 1887 – Saint-Paul de Vence, 1985) is globally beloved for his vibrant colors and gravity-defying figures—the fiddlers on rooftops, the bouquets that explode with light, and the couples perpetually soaring above the world. Yet, as this exhibition powerfully demonstrates, beneath this visual poetry lies a deep, unwavering humanity. Chagall was, as the title suggests, a "witness of his time."

The collection masterfully explores the duality that defined his art and his life. He was a man rooted in the memory of his Russian homeland and Jewish traditions, yet he was constantly propelled toward new, universal expressive horizons by the forces of history. His palette, which Pablo Picasso famously noted, made him the only painter left who truly understood color after Matisse, is used not just for joy, but also to convey the solemn weight of persecution and exile.

Visitors will trace how his vibrant, emotional truth captures the contradictions of human existence. Look closely, and you'll see more than just a dream; you’ll see the turmoil of a man fleeing war and searching for a permanent home.

The Enduring Power of the 'Double'

One of the exhibition’s most fascinating threads is Chagall’s recurring motif of the "double." This theme—seen in split faces, multiplying profiles, and mirrored portraits—serves as the artist’s mechanism for grappling with the complexities of identity in a world that sought to fragment it.

The famous double portraits with his first wife, Bella Rosenfeld, are masterpieces of this exploration. Works like Double Portrait With a Glass of Wine, where the artist is playfully perched on Bella's shoulders above their hometown of Vitebsk, are not merely celebrations of love. They are acts of preservation, anchoring a cherished past and an enduring affection against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution and a life in constant motion. The vivid, chromatic palette—splashes of white, purple, red, green, and sunshine yellow—amplifies the joyous and mystical quality, turning an intimate moment into a monumental symbol of enduring love.

But the double is also an expression of the inner conflict of the exile: the self that is lost and the self that must adapt; the memory of the past and the reality of the present. This profound, poetic gaze allows Chagall to transform his deeply personal experience into a reflection that resonates universally.

An Immersive, Multisensory Experience

Curated by Paul Schneiter and Francesca Villanti, the Ferrara exhibition is more than a traditional display of art. It’s an immersive journey designed to let the public literally step inside the visionary world of the artist. The 200 paintings, drawings, and engravings are complemented by two immersive rooms that project some of Chagall’s most monumental creations.

This multisensory setting breaks the barrier between the viewer and the artwork, offering an engaging and spectacular dimension to his creations. It allows visitors to appreciate the scale and the overwhelming emotional impact of his largest works, experiencing the fluidity of his lines and the complex layering of his masterful colors as if they were chromatic mists floating across the room. It’s an approach that feels perfectly suited to an artist whose figures already defied the visible world.

A Message for a Fragmented Age

The exhibition arrives in Ferrara at a moment when its central themes feel strikingly contemporary. In a world increasingly marked by conflict, fragmentation, and division, Chagall’s art offers a compelling, hopeful antidote.

His seemingly simple metaphors—the flying lovers, the talking animals, the musical fiddlers—transcend the personal to become universal symbols of identity, exile, spirituality, and the simple joy of living. The show reminds us that art can be a bridge between distant worlds, a synthesis of seemingly irreconcilable traditions—like the blending of Russian folk art, Jewish iconography, and Parisian Modernism in his unique style.

Through his work, the exhibition posits a powerful truth: even amidst the darkest moments of history, as Chagall himself experienced with the rise of fascism and his flight into exile, art has the ability to celebrate an emotional truth that speaks to the deepest dimensions of the soul.

“Chagall: Witness of His Time” is an opportunity to rediscover a master who painted life in its totality—from the depths of human sorrow to the heights of love and joy. It is a necessary reminder that behind the fantastical colors lies a lucid observer, a custodian of memory, and a poet of beauty whose vision remains vital and deeply moving today.

The exhibition runs from today, October 11, 2025, to February 8, 2026, at the Palazzo dei Diamanti, and booking is strongly recommended.

A video exploring one of Chagall's most iconic double portraits can be seen here: Marc Chagall's Revolutionary Wedding Portrait. This video offers an 'Anatomy of an Artwork' look at one of the famous double portraits that exemplify the exhibition's focus on love and personal history.