L’Étable 1953

Marc Chagall made this gouache painting, L’Étable, sometime in his career. You can really see Chagall thinking through the making; it’s all there in the brushstrokes. Nothing is hidden, but instead, brought to the forefront. There is something raw about the umber wash. The paint is thin but layered, building tone and depth, particularly around the background. It’s all so immediate and honest. Look at the way he renders the animals! So alive, and cartoonish, especially that chicken. It’s hard to tell what kind of brush he used, maybe a house painting brush, or just something lying around in the studio. It's interesting to compare this to some of Picasso's ink drawings, where he is trying to capture the essence of the thing. It's all about feeling, memory and, like, trying to pin down a feeling. It embraces ambiguity, and multiple interpretations. There is no single meaning here.