ticketsMember | Make a donation

Bride with Fan

Marc Chagall French, born former Russian Empire, now Belarus
1911
Not on view
Marc Chagall conjured up his native Russia in the works he painted from 1910 to 1914 while he was living in the French capital. Similarly, in the small painting Bride with Fan, he evoked his far-away fiancée Bella Rosenfeld, whom he would marry in 1915 upon his return to Vitebsk, Russia. The picture's palette of only blue and white is unusual within the artist's oeuvre, yet the brighter colors showing through the white paint suggest that Chagall reused an old canvas. Pierre Matisse, the son of artist Henri Matisse, had coveted the works of Chagall since 1924, when he first met the artist in Paris. Chagall was loath to part with his work, but in 1941 Pierre, who then owned an art gallery in New York, was able to mount an exhibition of Chagall's work that became a "blockbuster"; this was followed by sixteen more exhibitions at the gallery through 1982.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bride with Fan
  • Artist: Marc Chagall (French (born former Russian Empire, now Belarus), Vitebsk 1887–1985 Saint-Paul-de-Vence)
  • Date: 1911
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 18 × 15 in. (45.7 × 38.1 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Pierre and Maria-Gaetana Matisse Collection, 2002
  • Object Number: 2002.456.8
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
A Water Carrier and a Coachman, Marc Chagall French, born former Russian Empire, now Belarus, Opaque watercolor, watercolor, and black and brown inks on paper
A Water Carrier and a Coachman
Marc Chagall
1912
Susanna and the Elders, Marc Chagall French, born former Russian Empire, now Belarus, Metallic paints, opaque watercolor, and brown ink on paper
Susanna and the Elders
Marc Chagall
1912
Water Carrier by Moonlight, Marc Chagall French, born former Russian Empire, now Belarus, Watercolor and opaque watercolor on paper
Water Carrier by Moonlight
Marc Chagall
1911
Couple, Marc Chagall French, born former Russian Empire, now Belarus, Brush and black ink, opaque watercolor, and watercolor on paper
Couple
Marc Chagall
1911
The Village Idiot, Marc Chagall French, born former Russian Empire, now Belarus, Oil paint and graphite on paper
The Village Idiot
Marc Chagall
1914–15

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.