“Petrouchka,” an etching on paper by Marc Chagall, dates back to approximately 1923 and was created in Paris, France. This work is part of the “Dead Souls” series and is currently housed in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia. As a piece of Naïve Art (Primitivism), this illustration captures Chagall’s unique approach to representational art in the early 20th century.
In the artwork, the figure of a man is depicted in mid-stride, seemingly frozen in a moment of hurried movement. The man’s exaggerated features and disproportional limbs give the piece a whimsical and almost surreal quality. The sparse background, consisting of a simple bed and minimal detailing, emphasizes the character’s dynamic posture and sense of urgency. Despite its simplicity, the artwork evokes a narrative filled with emotion and possible intrigue, true to Chagall’s illustrative and evocative style.
