Marc Chagall was born in 1887 in the small town of Vitebsk, Russia. His Jewish Russian parents worked hard to support the family by selling fish and running a market. Although his parents disapproved, Chagall went to art school in St. Petersburg in 1907. There he saw works by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters such as Monet, Cezanne and Van Gogh. Chagall was inspired by their use of color and simple shapes to convey emotions. In 1910 he went to Paris where he saw work by young artists Picasso (Cubist) and Matisse (Fauvist) who were trying new ways of showing emotions and expressions.

In 1914, he returned to Russia where he met and married his wife Bella, whom he painted many times. Chagall lived in Russia during WWI and the Russian Revolution. He returned to Paris in 1923 where he worked until the beginning of WWII. He also spent time in New York City. After the war, he returned to Southern France and died in 1985, at the age of 97.

Chagall chose to paint lovers, workers, musicians and animals. He depicted ordinary scenes but transformed them into dreamlike worlds. Figures float, forms dissolve or are superimposed on each other. There are often multiple perspectives on one canvas. Colors are strong and vibrant but inspired by emotion not reality. In his painting "The Birthday" we see Bella offering Chagall flowers for his birthday. Chagall and Bella both float through the air over red furniture and floor. Chagall often painted himself floating through his paintings. Chagall's style was inventive and original—sometimes called Fantastic Art. This style is similar to Surrealism in its dream-like quality. It is also a mixture of Cubism and memory of childhood, folklore and country life. He said, "My little town may have vanished long ago, but I carry its images always in my heart."