Romeo et Juliette (Romeo and Juliet)

by Marc Chagall

Lithographs

Description

Marc Chagall’s "Romeo et Juliette" (1964) is a monumental color lithograph that transforms Shakespeare’s tale into a luminous dreamscape. The composition is anchored by the embracing figures of Romeo and Juliet who, intertwined and radiant, hover above a glowing Parisian cityscape. Landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Opéra Garnier emerge from deep cobalt and gold, conjuring a sense of both timeless romance and urban vitality. Bathed in fantastical blue and rose, the lovers are encircled by Chagall’s emblematic motifs: a white horse, a lush bouquet, and the moonlit vision of the couple repeated above, each detail contributing to the lyrical atmosphere. This symphony of color and movement blurs the line between earth and sky, memory and myth, making the city itself a witness to eternal love.

Artistic and Social Context

Created as an homage to both Shakespeare and the city of Paris, "Romeo et Juliette" originated from Chagall’s commission for the Paris Opéra ceiling and was translated to print by master lithographer Charles Sorlier. The image pays tribute not only to artistic love stories, but also to Chagall’s own immigrant journey and relationship with Paris as a crucible for creativity. The lithograph was published to commemorate the unveiling of the Opéra’s new ceiling, with Chagall’s gesture of gifting the design to Paris underlining his belief in art as a public good and a source of collective wonder.

Interpretation and Meaning

The entwined lovers, floating horse, and florescent bouquet elevate "Romeo et Juliette" beyond mere illustration into a poetic vision of love’s power to transcend boundaries—between individuals, nations, and realities. Chagall’s repetition of the couple in the moon’s aura alludes to eternity; the palette of blues, reds, and golds evokes both celebration and longing. The composition affirms the capacity of love and art to console, uplift, and immortalize, inviting viewers into a suspended realm where the ordinary is transformed into the miraculous.