Switzerland and Chagall
Oct 5, 2007
Switzerland has several sites of interest to Jewish travellers and I recently saw some connected with painter Chagall in the capital Zurich. Two of the city's major attractions are the Chagall windows and the art museum.
The Chagall windows are in a church. They are the main attraction in the building. The windows are in a separate chapel at the 'back', the opposite end to the altar. I'm not sure which was is north or whether the church is orientated towards Jerusalem as many religious buildings worldwide are. (Maybe somebody could comment on this.)
The chapel is small high, echoing and peaceful. People enter and stand at the back reverently looking up at the windows which are pencil thin. A few chairs are either side of the doorway and people sit contemplating. It is quite uplifting.
It was a haven of cool on a hot day in September. So calm. And restful.
I recognized some symbols. Jacob's ladder.
I bought a book about the windows, hoping for more enlightenment. What I learned was the interesting history of the commissioning of the windows. The city had run a competition for local people to submit designs but nothing was considered suitable. Then a Chagall exhibition at the nearby art gallery showed his windows in the chapel of the hospital in Israel.
Oct 5, 2007
Switzerland has several sites of interest to Jewish travellers and I recently saw some connected with painter Chagall in the capital Zurich. Two of the city's major attractions are the Chagall windows and the art museum.
The Chagall windows are in a church. They are the main attraction in the building. The windows are in a separate chapel at the 'back', the opposite end to the altar. I'm not sure which was is north or whether the church is orientated towards Jerusalem as many religious buildings worldwide are. (Maybe somebody could comment on this.)
The chapel is small high, echoing and peaceful. People enter and stand at the back reverently looking up at the windows which are pencil thin. A few chairs are either side of the doorway and people sit contemplating. It is quite uplifting.
It was a haven of cool on a hot day in September. So calm. And restful.
I recognized some symbols. Jacob's ladder.
I bought a book about the windows, hoping for more enlightenment. What I learned was the interesting history of the commissioning of the windows. The city had run a competition for local people to submit designs but nothing was considered suitable. Then a Chagall exhibition at the nearby art gallery showed his windows in the chapel of the hospital in Israel.
Chagall, already quite old and very busy, was asked if he would consider a commission. It seemed doubtful that he would. However, he visited the site and was so delighted with its atmosphere that he accepted.
Only a proportion of the necessary funds had been raised to pay both the designer Chagall (who had to travel from France I believe) and the makers of the huge windows (plus no doubt transportation and installation and lots of other costs). However, new donors appeared.
Only a few steps across the bridge to the other side of the 'river' from the nearby lake, and a determined march up the cobblestoned alleys of the old city brings you to the skyscrapers of the new city and the art museum which houses Chagall paintings.
Only a proportion of the necessary funds had been raised to pay both the designer Chagall (who had to travel from France I believe) and the makers of the huge windows (plus no doubt transportation and installation and lots of other costs). However, new donors appeared.
Only a few steps across the bridge to the other side of the 'river' from the nearby lake, and a determined march up the cobblestoned alleys of the old city brings you to the skyscrapers of the new city and the art museum which houses Chagall paintings.
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