Marc Chagall (Vitebsk 1887–1985 Saint-Paul-de-Vence) captures a scene of Paris in this painting that exudes modernization. The co-subject of the title, the Pont de Passy (the bridge), can be seen in the background, carrying on it a newly constructed train in the direction of the other co-subject of the title, the Eiffel tower. These three new metal additions to the city of Paris are all placed in the upper half of the painting, and can be read as symbols for growing urbanization and technology. In short, they represent the “new.” On the other hand, the bottom of the painting is occupied by “old,” even ancient objects: a horse, a dirt road, plants, and a brick wall. Chagall masterfully juxtaposes the “old” and “new” here, not only through their placement in the frame, but by their color scheme: the old section is dominated by warm colors; the new is cool colors. At first glance, it seems these two spheres are irreconcilable. However, Chagall forces our eyes toward the Eiffel tower by placing every line in its direction. Over the tower, he places the word “union.” Much like he does later in , Chagall blurs the line between painting and text, conveying a message through language, but treating the language as an object to be visually consumed, and placing it over an image of Paris’ most iconic object. “Union” speaks to the union of the old and the new in a single city. For Chagall, though Paris is modernizing, it still retains its timeless quality.
I do believe there is possibly another, more subtle message Chagall may be conveying here. Does the brick wall, with its large stones, hark back to the Western Wall? Perhaps Chagall, who often represented Jews as animals in line with negative stereotypes, places the horse respectfully toward the wall, with blinders on, in order to comment on Jews’ adherence to tradition, and therefore distinctiveness in a society that praises “union” above all else.
I do believe there is possibly another, more subtle message Chagall may be conveying here. Does the brick wall, with its large stones, hark back to the Western Wall? Perhaps Chagall, who often represented Jews as animals in line with negative stereotypes, places the horse respectfully toward the wall, with blinders on, in order to comment on Jews’ adherence to tradition, and therefore distinctiveness in a society that praises “union” above all else.
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