Marc chagall
Born Moishe Shagal, Marc Chagall (July 6, 1887 – March 28, 1985) was a Russian-French artist known for his modernist style and associated with the École de Paris (School of Paris). He was born to a Jewish family near Vitebsk (now Belarus) in what was then known as the Pale of Settlement – a western region of the Russian Empire that existed from 1791 to 1917 and beyond which Jewish residency was mostly forbidden.
Before World War I, he traveled between Saint Petersburg, Paris, and Berlin, creating his unique style of modern art based on his ideas of Eastern European and Jewish folklore. During WWI, he lived in Belarus, where he was recognized as one of the country’s most distinguished artists and a member of the modernist avant-garde, founding the Vitebsk Arts College. Chagall later lived and worked near Moscow before moving to Paris in 1923. During World War II, he escaped occupied France to the United States, where he lived in New York City before returning to France in 1948.
An integral part of modernism’s “golden age” in Paris, according to art historian Michael J. Lewis, Chagall was considered the last survivor of the first generation of European modernists. He was known for his synthesis of Cubism, Symbolism, and Fauvism.
Using the medium of stained glass, he produced windows for the cathedrals of Reims and Metz as well as the Fraumünster in Zürich, windows for the UN and the Art Institute of Chicago and the Jerusalem Windows in Israel. He also made large-scale paintings, including part of the ceiling of the Paris Opéra.
A reference in Jackie Wullschlager’s Chagall: A Biography, quotes Pablo Picasso as having said in the 1950s: “When Matisse dies, Chagall will be the only painter left who understands what color really is”.
Alex Meilichson
Born in Meridia, Venezuela, Alex Meilichson grew up in Israel. There, he studied sociology and political science at Tel Aviv University.
He received his formal training as an artist when he returned to Venezuela to study at the Cristobal Rojas Art School in Caracas, after which he completed his studies at the renowned Art Students League in New York City.
Known for his figurative style and use of brilliant colors, Meilichson’s favorite media are ink, acrylic, and oil on canvas. He paints Judaic themes, landscapes, and still life in an expressionist ‘Ecole de Paris’ approach. His imagery exemplifies an imaginary and playful world drenched in wonderment and joy. His colors are exotic and bold, hinting at the influence of Fauvism (les Fauves – French for “the wild beasts”), an art movement made famous by Matisse, that emerged in France at the beginning of the 20th century. Fauvism is known for its less controlled brushstrokes (versus representational or realistic values) and strong use of color. Meilichson’s work has also been compared to that of Marc Chagall.
He derives inspiration from the locals he visits and the fabric of life he encounters as he travels between Israel, New York, Norway, Paris and Provence.
Meilichson has exhibited in Caracas, Venezuela, appeared at Art Expo, New York and held a one-person exhibition at the Moshe Monson Gallery in Jerusalem.
Michael Schofield
Michael Schofield, born in Orlando Florida in 1947, has been a professional artist for more than 25 years. While born in Florida, Schofield grew up in the Oakland area and began painting while still in high school. He was encouraged by his art teacher, who recognized his special talent, and tutored him privately for two years. His art teacher recognized a special talent and tutored him privately for two years. Schofield went on to earn a Fine Arts degree in Nashville, Tennessee.
During his college summers Schofield studied under the well-known watercolorist, John Pike, a contemporary of Robert Wood. Following college, he opened his own art studio where he transitioned into oils and acrylics. He taught and painted for 12 years before returning to California, where he continues to live and work today.
Schofield’s work – already highly collectible and sure to become more so through time – can be found in many private and corporate collections including The Library of Congress, Xerox Corporation, Occidental Petroleum, Bank of America and 20th Century.
