Carmen

Marc Chagall’s "Carmen" (1966) is a vibrant lithograph and mural derived from his large-scale commission for the Metropolitan Opera House’s grand opening at Lincoln Center, New York. Overflowing with dazzling, saturated color, the image conjures a dreamlike scene of floating musicians, dancers, and whimsical animals set above a luminous cityscape. At its center, a mandolin player dressed in a flamboyant costume twirls amid other performers; this figure is a playful portrait of Chagall’s friend and Carmen’s patron, Rudolf Bing, the director of the Metropolitan Opera. The composition’s joyous sense of movement and magic typifies Chagall’s mature style, fusing the spectacle of opera with the artist’s unique vision of enchantment and fantasy.

Artistic and Social Context "Carmen" was one of two monumental artworks Chagall created for the Met’s lobby (the other inspired by The Magic Flute), commissioned to symbolize the triumph of music at a new epicenter of American arts. The painting exemplifies Chagall’s bold engagement with public space, using the theater’s height to extend his palette and subjects into true spectacle. Rooted in the artist’s lifelong fascination with music, folklore, and theatricality, the work blends memories of his Eastern European heritage with the cosmopolitan exuberance of 1960s New York. The vivid animals, flying performers, and radiant color fields evoke both Chagall’s personal mythology and the universal excitement of operatic performance, while also serving as a subtle tribute to the collaborative nature of the performing arts.

Interpretation and Meaning Through its kaleidoscopic imagery and jubilant spirit, "Carmen" transforms opera’s drama into a magical, transcendent experience. The floating figures and city skyline beneath them conjure the sensation of music lifting humanity above the ordinary, offering a vision where reality and imagination merge. By embedding a portrait of his friend and patron within this fantastical celebration, Chagall underscores themes of friendship, inspiration, and creative partnership. The work stands as a lasting testament to art’s power to unite, uplift, and electrify both performers and audiences.

Size The original size of Chagall’s "Carmen" lithograph is approximately 100.3 × 75.6 cm (39 1/2 × 29 3/4 inches). The mural version occupies the height of the Metropolitan Opera House’s lobby wall.Marc Chagall’s "Carmen" (1966) is a radiant color lithograph, originally designed as a mural for the inauguration of the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, New York. This large-scale work brims with Chagall’s hallmark vivid hues and fantastical imagery: dazzling musicians and dancers float joyously above a whimsical cityscape, surrounded by surreal animals and bursts of color. At its core, a mandolin player in a vibrant costume, secretly a portrait of Chagall’s friend and patron Rudolf Bing, anchors the scene, embodying the spirit of musical celebration and personal homage. The composition captures the exuberant movement and magical atmosphere of opera, mingling reality with dream and spectacle.