The artwork titled “The young Samuel, the priest’s servant, heard, that he is called by God, Eli and he were sleeping in the bedroom of his master, (I Samuel, III, 1-4)” is a creation by Marc Chagall, completed around 1956 in France. This piece is an etching on paper belonging to the Naïve Art (Primitivism) art movement. It measures 29.5 by 24.7 centimeters and is categorized under the genre of religious painting. The artwork is part of a series called “Etchings for the Bible” which spans the period from 1930 to 1939 and from 1952 to 1956.
In the artwork, a serene scene from the biblical story of Samuel is portrayed, where the young servant hears the calling of God while sleeping alongside Eli, the high priest. The etching exquisitely captures the moment with Chagall’s hallmark style, blending simplicity and depth. The depiction includes the divine figure of an angel, emphasizing the ethereal nature of the divine calling. The use of soft lines and traditional etching techniques reflect the artist’s deep engagement with religious themes and his mastery in portraying spiritual narratives.
