The Tale of the Ebony Horse 1945 - 1946

Marc Chagall gave us "The Tale of the Ebony Horse" sometime between 1887 and 1985; we can see the beauty of the image through the application of lithography printmaking. Lithography is a printmaking process that relies on the concept that oil and water do not mix, and this piece seems to play into that tension. What I find interesting about this piece is how Chagall’s marks, though gentle, create the feeling of texture. The horse’s body looks as though it’s been buffed in just the right way, like a car. The longer I look at it, the more I get the impression that the dancers are illuminated by the horse, as though it is a literal vehicle for their dance. Chagall is so good at tapping into these mythical spaces! The dreamlike qualities of his works remind me of de Chirico; they both manage to pull you in through their own unique methods. Both these artists prove that art can be a conversation between more than just the artist and the viewer.