The Lion Going to War 1927 - 1930

Marc Chagall's "The Lion Going to War" is an etching, a printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate, inked, and pressed onto paper. The network of fine lines creates a range of tones and textures, from the dark mane of the lion to the wispy clouds above. The process required a skilled hand to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. The resulting image is not spontaneous; it has been achieved through careful labor. The animal figures speak to a very old tradition of fable making. The image is dense with life, despite being rendered in a monochromatic industrial process, an etching is repeatable, cheap, and democratic, allowing the artist's vision to be disseminated widely. It invites us to consider the relationship between artistic expression, storytelling, and the means of production in the modern world. Ultimately, this etching invites us to look beyond the image itself, and reflect on the processes and social contexts that have given it form.