The Tale of the Ebony Horse 1945 - 1946

Marc Chagall made this print, "The Tale of the Ebony Horse," using lithography to create a world bathed in a warm yellow light. I’m struck by how dreamlike it is, figures emerging from the ground, their forms soft and almost dissolving into the atmosphere. I can imagine Chagall working on the lithographic stone, layering the image with delicate strokes, and how he must have felt summoning these ethereal figures into being. The way the forms interact reminds me of folk tales and childhood memories. The ebony horse itself is a mystical presence, carrying figures across time and memory. The yellow light feels like the sun, but it’s also the light of the moon, a magical space. What I love about Chagall is that he lets his figures float. The picture isn't trying to convince you of some fixed reality, but rather embraces the ambiguous and uncertain.