Recently a group of VHS students, all who were either in French or art classes, took a trip to The Jewish Museum in Manhattan to see a Marc Chagall exhibit, titled “Love, War, and Exile.”

Chagall, a well-known Russian-French modernist, is known for his use of Russian Christian

icon tradition, use of color, Cubism, and Surrealism in his paintings; all of which was observed

closely during the trip. The theme of the exhibit was Chagall’s life; “love” focusing on his

deceased wife, Bella, “war” focusing on his memories of the Bolshevik Revolution, and “exile”

referring to his escape from the hardships of Soviet life.

During their time at the museum, students had a chance to not only observe Chagall’s works

of art but to also write a brief analysis on a painting of choice, and participate in a poetry activity

based on his painting titled “Self-Portrait with Clock.”

These activities allowed students to interact intellectually without having to be seated at a

desk in a classroom, which, according to some, was quite refreshing.

“It’s always a treat to be able to learn outside of the classroom,” said VHS senior Ciarra

Davison. “Even though some of the paintings weren’t exactly easy to understand, it was still fun

to be able to see Chagall’s creations. Plus, being able to escape to the city during school hours

isn’t exactly what I would call a bad day.”

The students left the museum with a lot more knowledge on Chagall and, as expected, a little

less desire to return back to school grounds. The trip to The Jewish Museum proved to be

a hit amongst the participating students, increasing their desire to pursue more opportunities like this.