The artwork, titled “When Abdullah got the net ashore…”, was created by Marc Chagall in 1948. It belongs to the art movement known as Naïve Art (Primitivism) and falls under the genre of symbolic painting. This piece is part of Chagall’s series “The Arabian Nights”.
In this symbolic and vivid painting, Chagall utilizes bright and contrasting colors to depict a fantastical scene. A central figure, likely Abdullah, pulls a net ashore, within which another figure, seemingly a mermaid, is entangled. The artwork is characterized by a dreamlike quality, typical of Chagall’s style, and is rendered in an expressive and rather whimsical manner, with bold and fluid brushstrokes enhancing its magical and narrative essence. The surreal elements and imaginative composition reflect the artist’s fascination with folklore and fantastical stories.
