The Ass Laden with Sponges and the Ass Laden with Salt 1927 - 1930

This etching by Marc Chagall, created between 1927 and 1930, titled "The Ass Laden with Sponges and the Ass Laden with Salt," is a surrealist depiction of a scene from the artist's Jewish heritage. The upper half of the composition depicts a donkey, which is a recurring symbol in Chagall's work, amidst an ethereal landscape. The lower half of the artwork shows a figure with a donkey's head submerged in water, suggesting a dreamlike or mystical experience. The use of dark tones and fragmented forms contributes to the artwork's evocative and ambiguous quality, characteristic of Chagall's style.