The Horse and the Ass 1927 - 1930

Curator: Here we have "The Horse and the Ass", an etching created by Marc Chagall sometime between 1927 and 1930. The composition features these two animals in an enigmatic landscape. What's your initial take on this image? Editor: Bleak and dreamy. All those scratching lines give it a nervous energy, like something just spooked these animals. It's weird, I keep looking for a story, but the symbols just shimmer there without resolution. Curator: Indeed. The lack of clear narrative is classic Chagall, inviting viewers to create their own. We see the horse, clearly delineated in the foreground, seemingly unaware of the dreamlike imagery above him. Above is a topsy-turvy donkey, then a floating man above it all. Could that awkwardness hint at cultural tensions or even psychological displacement? Editor: Displacement… that’s it! The image feels disjointed, with layers stacked on each other. I notice a mask just above the horse's head... it feels almost like a secret revealed by the artist. I’m drawn to how he handles light, too— the animals gleam with a ghostly glow. Curator: Interesting observation! That mask is intriguing—in folklore, masks often act as interfaces with other worlds or alternate selves. Considering Chagall’s roots in Jewish folklore and the Hasidic tradition, we can perhaps see it symbolizing transformation, a crossing of boundaries, or hidden identities. Editor: Hmm, that connects to the horse for me. Look at that muscle! It's so full of life. Then, juxtapose that vigor with the hazy donkey seemingly floating overhead... It gives me a strong sense of precarious balance, the constant struggle between the grounded and the fanciful. Curator: An apt interpretation. What's striking, ultimately, is how the work resonates through those symbolic tensions—stability and whimsicality, the known and unknown—echoing concerns universal throughout time. Editor: Yeah, and maybe it also serves as a reminder. Sometimes the dreams and the anxieties that lift us aloft are inextricably tied to something solid and beautiful, right here in front of us. Even if it is a horse, carrying a scary floating donkey.