Abdullah Discovered before Him... 1948

Marc Chagall created ‘Abdullah Discovered before Him...’ as a color lithograph on paper. Born in Belarus, Chagall’s Jewish heritage and experiences of displacement deeply influenced his art. Here, amidst a vibrant tableau of green hues, Chagall presents a dreamlike narrative, interweaving human and animal forms. Look at the creatures and figures, they seem to float through the air, unbound by gravity. As a Jewish artist working through the turmoils of the 20th century, including the rise of antisemitism and forced migration, Chagall often used symbolism to convey themes of identity, love, and displacement. "If I create from the heart," Chagall once said, "nearly everything works.” Consider how Chagall’s personal history as an immigrant infuses this piece with a sense of longing and ethereal beauty. In ‘Abdullah Discovered before Him...’, Chagall invites us to reflect on our connections to culture, history, and the imaginative realms that shape our understanding of the world.