The Second World War felt very personal to Chagall, as someone who had lived, worked and had fond memories of Germany, France and Russia and as a Jew. The unease he felt reflected on his paintings, which become more somber and full of angst than ever. The color red appears in abundance. The Three Candles is the masterpiece of this period.

Marc Zakharovich Chagall was a Russian-French artist of Belarusian Jewish origin. An early modernist, he was associated with several major artistic styles and created works in virtually every artistic format, including painting, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries and fine art prints.