The Raven Who Wished to Imitate the Eagle
1927/1930
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1952.8.137
Art Historical Context
**The Raven Who Wished Imitate the Eagle**, a captivating etching by Marc Chagall created between 1927 and 1930, draws visitors into the artist's whimsical world of fantasy and folklore. Part of a portfolio in the National Gallery Art's Rosenwald CollectionDepartment CG-W), this print reflects Chagall's signature styleblending elements of Cubism, Symbolism, and early Surrealism with vibrant, dreamlike imagery inspired by his Russian-Jewish heritage. During this period, Chagall was living in Paris after fleeing the Russian Revolution, channeling fables and myths into works that evoke wonder and...
About the Artist
Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall, born Moishe Shagal on July 7, 1887, in Liozna near Vitebsk in the Russian Empire (now Belarus), grew up as the eldest of nine children in a devout Jewish family confined to the Pale of Settlement. His father worked as a herring merchant's porter, while his mother sold groceries from home, instilling in young Chagall a deep connection to Hasidic Judaism and Eastern European folklore a...