The Rat and the Elephant 1927 - 1930

Marc Chagall created "The Rat and the Elephant" using etching, and what I immediately notice is the incredible detail achieved through the density and layering of fine lines. It's almost like he's sketching with light itself. Looking closer, the texture created by the etched lines gives the elephant a tangible, almost furry quality. The hatching marks emphasize the heaviness of the figure, but then it's contrasted by the lightness of the details in the elephant's headdress and the surrounding background, so it's really a contrast of dark and light, presence and absence. See how the network of lines seem to be building the scene and, at the same time, dissolving it? Chagall reminds me of Paul Klee, both embracing the freedom of line and form to create fantastical worlds, yet they both use these elements to dig deeper into the possibilities of what art can be. Ultimately, it's up to us to find our own meaning in the maze of marks.