The Tale of the Ebony Horse 1945 - 1946

Marc Chagall made this print, 'The Tale of the Ebony Horse', with lithography, using blue ink on paper. It is as if the scene emerges from the white of the page. The figures are outlined in a sketchy way, hovering between presence and absence, like a memory. I imagine Chagall, leaning over the lithographic stone, drawing with a greasy crayon. What was he thinking? The horse looms large on the left-hand side of the composition, a dreamlike creature. His lines evoke folkloric tales. I’m thinking about storytelling and how important it is to our idea of ourselves, and of others. It all feels so intimate and gentle. I love how the monochromatic nature of the image invites us to look closely at the composition. Gestures and figures connect, creating a sense of unity across the picture plane. It reminds me of other printmakers like Paula Rego, whose raw and honest depictions of human experience resonate with Chagall's emotional honesty. We all build on what came before, right? The Ebony Horse seems to whisper of stories that stretch back through time.