Musicians in Art

The intersection between music and art is our topic for today.

Our first artist is Marc Chagall.

Marc Chagall was born on July 7, 1887 in Vitebsk, Russia. In 1932 he moved to France. He lived in the United States from 1941 to 1948, and then returned to France. He died in France on March 28. 1985. His painting styles are Expressionism and Cubism. In his paintings, he often painted violinists because he played the violin and also in memory of his uncle, who also played. He was also famous for his paintings of Russian-Jewish villages.

Here is a video of some of his work set to music by Jerry Bock. The music is from a score of "Fiddler on the Roof" and the violin solo is by Isaac Stern.Photo taken by David Michael Kennedy in 1982

Stern was a Ukranian-born violin virtuoso who moved to the US with his family as a baby in 1920. He died just 10 years ago. He was famous for his wonderful musical ability.






Fiddler on the Roof by Marc Chagall animated by Raz Shelach





Three Takes on Pablo Picasso's The Three Musicians :43 and 2:17 and :38









Now it's time for a mini-field trip. We're off to Seattle to see EMP - Experience Music Project!

The building is really unusual. It was designed by architect Frank Gehry. Some people say it is shaped like a giant guitar that was smashed.




Inside are many interesting exhibits about music, with interactive displays so you can make your own music. Here, an artist used many guitars to create a multi-story sculpture.

If you're interested in visiting EMP, you can take advantage of the Free Smithsonian Day offered in September. Visit this link for more details. Admission to EMP includes entry to the very interesting Science Fiction Museum.


Now let's zip down to New Orleans and meet artist George Rodrigue.

His work often features musicians, especially jazz band musicians. He's going to talk to us about one of his iconic figures, the Blue Dog.




Finally, I have a fun image to share with you - a poster of a band painted as though they were from centuries ago.