“Song of Songs I,” created in 1960 by Marc Chagall in France, is part of the “Song of Songs” series. This artwork, a pastel on paper with dimensions of 24 x 29.9 cm, belongs to the Surrealism movement and falls under the genre of religious painting.
The artwork exhibits a rich tapestry of warm, earthy tones dominated by a vibrant red background, infused with a plethora of symbolic details. The upper-left quadrant features an ethereal figure, perhaps an angel, playing a stringed instrument, instilling a sense of divine presence. Below this figure, two contrastingly colored animals—a yellow goat and a blue horse—stand amidst a lush foliage, suggesting a symbolic interplay or balance. These central figures are surrounded by a swirl of intricate patterns and floral motifs, which lend a sense of movement and life to the composition. The use of pastel gives the work a soft, textural quality, imbuing the scene with a dreamlike, almost otherworldly atmosphere. The juxtaposition of various elements within the frame, characteristic of Chagall’s surrealist style, invites viewers to delve into a deeper, allegorical narrative evoked by the “Song of Songs” biblical text.
