The Tortoise and the Two Ducks 1927 - 1930

Marc Chagall made this print, The Tortoise and the Two Ducks, and when you look at it, you can see the tools he used to make it: the marks, the lines, the cross-hatching. I feel for the artist and can almost imagine him rubbing ink into the plate, wiping it off, then pressing the paper onto it. There’s a push and pull between what’s precise, like the ducks’ beaks, and what’s hazy, like the background. Look at all the little dots that make up the ducks' feathers. They’re not just decorative; they show us the texture, the realness of the birds. Chagall knew how to make marks that really spoke. Think about Matisse and Picasso too, all those guys were looking at each other's work, riffing off it. I like to think they were all in some great art conversation, across time. It makes art feel alive, like it’s still changing.