Verve #4 1956 - 1960

Marc Chagall created this work on paper, titled "Verve #4," using lithography and pochoir. Immediately striking is the composition, where figures and forms meld into a dreamlike tableau rendered in soft, muted tones. The figures of Adam and Eve are intertwined with floral motifs and the serpentine form of the serpent. Chagall's color choices, like the blues and greens of Adam’s skin, disrupt naturalistic representation. Instead, they invite us to consider a symbolic register, where color evokes emotional and spiritual states. The lithographic process allows for layered textures and a depth of tone, which are further enhanced by the hand-applied pochoir. These techniques add a tactile quality to the image, enriching our sensory experience of the artwork and highlighting the act of creation itself. This aesthetic of layering disrupts a singular reading, as it challenges our perception and deepens the complexity of meaning within the artwork.