The artwork “Moses sees the sufferings of his people,” crafted by Marc Chagall around 1966 in France, is a lithograph on paper with dimensions of 49.7 x 36.9 cm. It belongs to the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement and falls within the genre of religious painting. This piece is part of “The Story of the Exodus (1966)” series.
The artwork vividly depicts various scenes, centralizing on the figure of Moses, who is represented with a prominent beard and a pained expression, observing the plight of his people. Surrounding him are smaller figures, some carrying burdens and others in visible states of distress, rendered in a naive yet evocative manner characteristic of Chagall’s primitivist style. The lively use of color and fluid forms emphasizes the emotional intensity and narrative of suffering and perseverance. In the background, an abstract representation of a pyramid hints at the setting in Egypt, further situating the scene within the context of the Exodus story. The overall composition conveys a poignant and reverent interpretation of the biblical tale through Chagall’s unique artistic lens.
