Chagall chose the simple subject of a bridge, probably one over the Dvina River by Vitebsk, yet he executed it with such movement and violent expressionistic brushstrokes. The whole scene seems turbulent and stormy, with the dark sky and the criss-cross of lines constructing the bridge. Even the dark figure on the bridge seems to be fighting its way against the flow of Chagall's brushstrokes.
The Cyrillic inscription of 'the bridge' could perhaps be a reference to Chagall's encounter with Bella, whom he had met the preceding year through Thea Brachman (see lot 591). One of the chapters in Bella's book of memories, Erste Begegnung bears the title The Bridge, where she describes how fascinated she was by Chagall, with his wild and ambitious character.
The river appears to have had a deep significance for Chagall in his inner search for the soul, as he writes in My Life, 'I see the river flowing away into the distance, the bridge beyond, and close at hand, the eternal barrier, the earth, the grave. Here is my soul. Look for me here' (p. 16).