The Monkey and the Leopard 1927 - 1930

Marc Chagall made 'The Monkey and the Leopard' using etching, and it's all about the scratch, scrape and bite marks that make an image. It’s interesting how the artist uses cross-hatching to create a sense of depth and shadow, giving the whole scene a mysterious, dreamlike quality. The lines here are so lively, dancing across the surface, especially in the body of the leopard. The way Chagall renders the animal's fur, it’s like he’s not just drawing what he sees, but also what he feels. You can almost feel the leopard's energy, its power. Then there is the monkey in the upper corner, he looks like a fallen angel. Chagall’s prints remind me of other artists who explore the boundaries between reality and imagination. Think of Odilon Redon’s enigmatic lithographs, or the strange, symbolic world of William Blake. Ultimately, the monkey and the leopard is a reminder that art is not about answers, but about the questions we ask.