The Ass and the Dog 1927 - 1930

Marc Chagall made "The Ass and the Dog," an etching, and you can tell he was thinking about storytelling. The lines are not fussy, but they define the characters with so much expression. Look at how he’s built up the darks and lights, scratching into the plate to make the marks. It's raw, almost urgent, like he's trying to capture a fleeting memory. The texture feels rough, immediate. See the way the ass is drawn mid-leap; it feels like Chagall just let his hand go, allowing the image to emerge from the process. This directness gives it a real emotional punch. This piece reminds me of the drawings of Philip Guston; both have this sense of unpretentious mark-making. It is a conversation between artists, spanning time and place, about how to be free and honest with the work. The ambiguity leaves room for our own stories to mingle with Chagall's, making the viewing experience alive.