The artwork titled “Illustration by El Lissitzky to ‘The hen who wanted a comb'” was created in 1919 by artist El Lissitzky. Known for its affiliation with the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement, this piece serves as an illustration likely intended for a children’s book or a similar narrative-focused medium.
The illustration is composed of bold, flat colors and geometric shapes that are characteristic of El Lissitzky’s avant-garde style. It depicts two central figures: on the left side of the image, there is a black and white representation of a hen looking at her reflection in a mirror, holding a red comb in an anthropomorphic manner with one of her wings. Opposite to her, on the right side, stands a stylized red rooster depicted in profile. There are other symbolic elements, such as what appears to be the sun with text in its center, above the rooster, suggesting a narrative context to the imagery. The background contains writing, indicating the textual element accompanying the illustrations. Although claimed to be Naïve Art or Primitivism, the work is more accurately aligned with the constructivist movement and Russian avant-garde, given El Lissitzky’s role and artistic endeavors during that period.
