“The Watering Trough,” created by the renowned artist Marc Chagall in 1925 during his time in Paris, France, is an evocative piece belonging to the Cubism movement. This genre painting, executed with oil on canvas, measures 99.5 x 88.5 cm and currently resides in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, located in Philadelphia, PA, US.
The artwork portrays a serene yet somewhat haunting scene, where the stylized figures of a person and an animal are prominently featured. The person, rendered in a semi-abstract form, is seen bending over a trough, presumably to fetch water, closely observed by an attentive animal. Chagall employs a palette of earthy tones interspersed with more vivid hues, enhancing the surreal ambiance of the painting. The figures are harmoniously integrated into a composition that blends geometric shapes with fluid contours, characteristic of the Cubist approach. The use of light and shadow contributes to the depth and mystique of the scene, embodying a blend of reality and dreamlike qualities that invite the viewer to explore beyond the visible narrative.
