The Lion and the Hunter 1927 - 1930

Marc Chagall created 'The Lion and the Hunter' using etching, and it’s all about mark making! Look at the scratches, the blurry smudges, and the tiny lines that create this fantastical scene. The texture is kind of rough, like you could feel the grit if you ran your fingers across it. The whole image is built from this energy, a kind of chaotic, dreamlike state. Check out the hunter's feet! See how they kick up, weightless almost, as if he is floating, the lion stares ahead, a fierce stance. The image is ambiguous, we are left to consider what the relationship is between the two. This reminds me a bit of Redon and those symbolist guys, always chasing after some kind of inner vision. Chagall shows us that art is about seeing the world in a new way, a way that's as much about feeling as it is about seeing. It’s a conversation, a back-and-forth, and it never really ends.