The Fox and the Turkeys 1927 - 1930

This artwork is an etching by Marc Chagall, and it illustrates the fable of "The Fox and the Turkeys." The texture we see here is entirely the product of a painstaking process. To create an etching, a metal plate is covered with a waxy ground, then the artist draws into it with a sharp needle, exposing the metal. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The deeper the lines, the more ink they will hold. After cleaning off the wax, the plate is inked, and then wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, dampened paper is laid on the plate, and run through a press. The force of the press transfers the ink to the paper, creating the print we see here. The result is a visual texture that is not unlike a drawing, but with a graphic intensity all its own. Thinking about how this image came into being reminds us of the labor and skill involved in all forms of making, and demonstrates how so-called fine art relies on traditions of craft.