Tête de vache or La vache 1926

Marc Chagall made 'Tête de Vache' with oil paint, probably sometime in the middle of the 20th Century. Look at the blues, whites, and browns smearing together. It feels like it came together in layers, through some kind of alchemical reaction, and it’s full of pentimenti. I wonder about Chagall's state of mind when he made this. It’s a little rough but then also there’s an easy confidence. Like, did he start with the cow, and then add the little human riding on its back? Or did they come at the same time? The painting is loose, but also so descriptive. It reminds me a little bit of Picabia, who was also very versatile, but in a different way. In the end, all painters look at each other, steal from each other, and then interpret something different. Ultimately, painting is about feeling and seeing. It’s ambiguous, intuitive, and embodies the artist’s expression.