The artwork titled “The Israelites, which have gone from Egypt with Angel of death, are eating the Easter lamb (Exodus, XII, 11-14)” was created by Marc Chagall around the year 1934 in Paris, France. Executed using etching on paper, this piece is part of the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement. With dimensions of 29.6 by 23.3 cm, the artwork belongs to the genre of religious painting and is part of the series “Etchings for the Bible (1930-1939; 1952-1956).”
In the artwork, a small congregation of Israelites is depicted seated around a table, sharing a meal in what appears to be a modestly constructed setting. Each figure is adorned in traditional attire, contributing to the depiction of a historical and religious scene. Above the gathering, there hovers an angel, symbolizing the Angel of Death as referenced in the biblical story of Exodus. The composition is imbued with a sense of solemnity and reverence, capturing a pivotal moment of divine intervention and communal unity in the biblical narrative. The artist’s distinctive style and nuanced etching technique evoke both a raw simplicity and profound depth, characteristic of the Naïve Art movement.
