The tremendous individuality of this 20th-century master makes his work instantly recognisable and universally admired. Unswayed by contemporary art movements, his unique style and often autobiographical subjects, mingled with elements of Jewish folk culture, combined to create an imaginary, symbolic world dominated by bright colours. He studied in St Petersburg with Léon Bakst and then went to Paris (1910-1914), where he discovered the works of Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh. He returned to Russia in 1914 and stayed until 1922 because of World War I; during World War II, he lived in America and then returned to France. Other than painting, he made book illustrations, large-scale decorative projects, stage designs, tapestries, stained-glass windows and many etchings and lithographs.