The Wolves and the Sheep 1927 - 1930

Curator: Marc Chagall created "The Wolves and the Sheep" sometime between 1927 and 1930. It's an etching, a printmaking technique, and it evokes a symbolic landscape. What is your first take on it? Editor: Ominous. Dark, really. It’s a very textured print; you can almost feel the scratch of the needle on the plate that created those deep, shadowy lines. What strikes me is how heavy and deliberate that labor-intensive process feels here, given the stark subject matter. Curator: Exactly. Thinking about the period in which it was made, this work appears after a major turning point in Chagall's personal and creative life. Shifting perspectives surrounding displacement, class division, and power dynamics definitely shaped his artistic vocabulary during this time. The wolves could very easily represent the menacing force of oppression. Editor: I agree; the stark contrast in values creates a heightened sense of drama, almost like a stage set, placing these figures within this dark forest. There is definitely some serious social commentary going on, cloaked in the guise of folklore. What's interesting to me, though, is how he's handled the etching itself. There's a looseness to the rendering; he hasn't overworked it, even in those dark passages. Curator: Absolutely. That lightness of touch juxtaposed with the gravity of the theme adds another layer of complexity, wouldn’t you say? Maybe the vulnerability and helplessness of being prey. The dreamlike setting removes us slightly but still demands consideration for those in danger. Editor: Yes, and to pull this back to production; you have to really know what you're doing to achieve that kind of spontaneous feel. You have to understand your materials and their potential to control the density and tonal range through variations of mark-making. The trees themselves become characters within that framework. It gives the overall work this sense of depth and emotional weight. Curator: I think that speaks to why this image resonates across time and cultures. We see these predator-prey relationships played out in socio-political arenas constantly, and through the artistic skills and the actual labor and resources dedicated to this image, the etching captures that very feeling of unease. Editor: Indeed. A lot is happening in this little image. The level of artistic process certainly allows us to analyze and better recognize what's happening around the globe.