Couple avec âne sur fond orangé c. 1980 - 1982

Curator: Right now, we’re looking at Marc Chagall’s "Couple avec âne sur fond orangé", created around 1980-1982. It’s a landscape-portrait rendered with colored pencils. Editor: The whole composition shimmers with this nostalgic, almost sepia-toned warmth, doesn’t it? A comforting kind of glow, despite the slightly chaotic arrangement of figures. Curator: Chaos feels right for Chagall! He was a master of visual storytelling, and like his other pieces, there are so many symbols here, you could get lost in them. Like, that huge clock dominating the upper left... Editor: It's like a dream logic. The clock face is warped and distorted, hovering over this couple riding the donkey. Time is bending. Do you think the donkey is referencing something particular? Curator: Oh, animals are huge in Chagall’s work. Often, he’s said the donkey is this symbol of hard work and perseverance, but here it looks almost radiant with the golden wash on it. It's transporting the couple. Almost Christlike on that donkey, maybe a nod to biblical stories where donkeys are a sign of peace. Editor: I can see that. I'm drawn to how he mixes what feels earthly – a village scene with the tree – and heavenly with figures floating in the sky, untethered by gravity. It feels hopeful, but fragile, you know? Like a memory. Curator: Very much so, especially in his later work. He’s weaving together personal experiences, his Jewish heritage, and broader artistic influences, really synthesizing it all. He uses color so brilliantly to heighten emotion; the orange creates the effect of timelessness but also suggests a memory on fire, both beautiful and searing. Editor: I love how you describe it, 'a memory on fire'. A beautiful contradiction that suits this piece. What do you take away from "Couple avec âne sur fond orangé,"? Curator: It reminds me of a love story or maybe love letters written a long time ago that are found when somebody moves from the family’s old house. What about you? Editor: It speaks to me of how love perseveres against a backdrop of life’s everyday madness. That floating above the trials is really the secret.