The Wolf, the Mother, and the Child by Marc Chagall

The Wolf, the Mother, and the Child 1927 - 1930

0:00
0:00

print, etching

# 

portrait

# 

narrative-art

# 

print

# 

etching

# 

figuration

Copyright: National Gallery of Art: CC0 1.0

Editor: Here we have Marc Chagall's etching, "The Wolf, the Mother, and the Child," created between 1927 and 1930. The stark contrasts in the print create a kind of tense domestic scene, but the wolf at the window is somewhat unexpected. What sort of story do you think Chagall is telling here? Curator: Well, consider the recurring image of the wolf, a powerful symbol often associated with danger, but also with maternal care—think of Romulus and Remus. What happens when that primal force enters the domestic sphere? Is it a threat, or does it reflect a more profound, perhaps even unconscious, aspect of motherhood itself? Editor: So, the wolf isn't necessarily literal? More symbolic of something else? Curator: Precisely. The image plays on archetypes. Observe the mother's gesture: is she warding off the wolf, or acknowledging it? Consider, too, the child—unaware, seemingly safe in her arms. It speaks to the dual nature of protection and the ever-present undercurrent of the wild, both within and without. What cultural memories might Chagall, with his Russian-Jewish background, be drawing upon? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. Maybe it’s about the fears and anxieties a mother might feel, represented by the wolf. Curator: Indeed. And etching as a medium adds another layer. The stark blacks and whites, the sharp lines—they amplify the emotional tension and highlight the rawness of the scene, underscoring primal fear and tenderness. Editor: This has given me a completely new way to approach Chagall's symbolism! I never considered the multiple layers inherent in the "wolf" image itself. Curator: Art often asks more questions than it answers. Looking for symbols within cultural memory unlocks deeper levels of understanding.

Show more

Comments

No comments

Be the first to comment and join the conversation on the ultimate creative platform.