Problem statement: This study utilizes a neo-formalist approach and Noël Carroll’s eight-stage model to analyze the relationship between form and content in Marc Chagall’s White Crucifixion. It addresses two main gaps: the limitation of traditional formalism that detaches formal innovation from its historical-political context, and the tendency of existing literature to rely solely on biographical or symbolic readings. Ultimately, the research aims to demonstrate how Chagall’s formal departures from traditional crucifixion iconography serve as a visual medium to express the specific historical and political crises of his era.
Research objectives: This article aims to identify the specific ways in which the Gospel-derived imagery of the Christian crucifixion-as codified in traditional religious iconography-is altered, transformed, or displaced within the context of modern painting.
Research method: Using a neo-formalist approach and Noël Carroll’s reconfigured eight-step method, the study investigates the formal and content reworking of the crucified Christ in Chagall’s painting.
Conclusion: The findings reveal that Chagall’s formal departures from traditional crucifixion iconography- such as depicting Christ in Jewish attire on a white cross, minimizing color, and replacing biblical figures with contemporary Jews -redefine the work’s thematic boundaries. By deconstructing Christian sacred imagery, Chagall transforms the painting into a political critique of the persecution of Jews during the rise of Nazism and Kristallnacht. Ultimately, through this formal reorganization, the crucified Christ emerges as a migratory figure bridging Jewish and Christian identities, acting as both poet and prophet. This analysis demonstrates a precise alignment between the visual structure of White Crucifixion and its historical-protest content.