The artwork, created by Marc Chagall circa 1956 in France, is an etching on paper, measuring 25.7 x 27.4 cm and is part of a series titled “Etchings for the Bible (1930-1939; 1952-1956).” This piece, belonging to the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement, falls within the genre of religious painting. It depicts a scene from I Kings, XIX, 5-8, where Elijah, having retired to the desert to await death, is awakened and comforted by an angel.
The etching portrays an angel reaching out to a reclining figure, presumably Elijah, who lies in a serene, almost otherworldly landscape. The angel, with large, expressive wings, emerges from a dense, shadowy background, creating a stark contrast that draws the viewer’s eye. The composition includes a minimalist representation of the natural surroundings, with a couple of trees in the background, enhancing the ethereal quality of the scene. The tonal gradations and gestural lines employed by Chagall evoke both a sense of divine intervention and human vulnerability, encapsulating the biblical narrative in a visually poetic manner.
