Chagall’s splash of color in Zurich’s Fraumünster

On a recent trip to Zurich, I returned to see the Chagall painted windows I hadn’t seen in years.

Russian-Jewsih artist Marc Chagall (Moishe Segal/Mark Zacharovič Šagal, 1887-1985) began a new phase of his career with stained glass and painted windows for churches.

Zurich’s Fraumünster church, founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hikdegard, In 1967, he designed the 32 feet/9.8 meter windows with various Biblical scenes, each with its own color.

The Fraumünster initiated a search to commission an artist for the creation of the stained-glass windows in 1960, but did not find an artist they considered suitable. The idea of commissioning Chagall followed an exhibition of March Chagall’s work in Zurich in 1967. Apparently, Chagall visited the cathedral that year and felt inspired by the atmosphere and felt inspired to carry out this huge project, despite being 80 years old at the time.

The commission took him three years to complete, mostly working from his home in southern France.

The windows were installed in the cathedral in 1970. Each window has a dominant color, and each depicts a different Biblical story. One is dedicated entirely to Christ, with Biblical stories from his life.

The five windows portray the following Bible stories: the Prophet’s Window, the Law Window, the Jacob Window, the Zion Window, and the Christ Window.

I had been here, years ago, during the summer time, when bright light was streaming through the windows. On this visit, I was viewing the windows on a grey, winter day with diffused light, and the effect was very different.

But it was still beautiful to enjoy these colorful Chagall windows.

“Stained glass has to be serious and passionate. It has to live through the perception of light.” Marc Chagall

You will definitely want to come and visit the Fraumünster, and to experience this artwork through the perception of light, on your next visit to Zurich