Until January 27, visitors in Rome can admire Marc Chagall’s painting The White Crucifixion. This extraordinary work, imbued with metaphysical significance, has captivated many admirers, including Pope Francis.
Chagall created “The White Crucifixion” in 1938, deeply moved by the horrors of Kristallnacht in Berlin when synagogues and homes were burned, Jews were forcibly displaced, and pogroms spread across Europe.
Family News ServiceRegarded as one of the most important works by the artist born in Vitebsk, who was a devout Jew, the painting carries a profound message. The exhibition organizers explain that it is “a powerful symbol of hope and religious unity (…) with a compelling call to defend human dignity and foster dialogue between cultures.” It is also known to be one of Pope Francis’s favorite artworks.
What makes “The White Crucifixion” particularly striking is Chagall’s use of Christian imagery—most notably the crucifixion of Christ—despite his grounding in Talmudic tradition. The painting not only depicts the suffering of the Jewish people but also connects this anguish to the redemptive suffering of Christ, which embraces the whole of humanity.
In the composition, viewers can discern a soldier setting fire to a synagogue, a Jewish man clutching a sack of belongings as he flees, refugees adrift on a boat searching for safe haven yet unable to find it, burning villages and homes, and prophets lamenting the fate of Israel.
The cross on which Christ’s body rests resembles the Hebrew letter tau, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Family News ServiceYet, amid the sorrow, the painting radiates hope—light streams from the heavens onto the figure of Christ, a light untouched by the surrounding darkness. The traditional Jewish candelabrum’s menorah burns with only six candles instead of the usual seven. This may suggest that Christ embodies the seventh flame—a light that will never be extinguished and ultimately triumph over darkness.
The Art Institute of Chicago, in collaboration with the Dicastery for Evangelization and the Fondazione Roma, has loaned this masterpiece in honor of the upcoming Jubilee Year of 2025. Visitors can view the painting at Palazzo Cipolla on Via del Corso, free of charge, until January 27.
The exhibition also marks the inauguration of Rome’s newest museum space, the Museo del Corso.
