“Song of Songs V” is an artwork by Marc Chagall, dating from around 1965 and crafted in France. The medium is gouache and oil on paper, with dimensions of 46 by 55 centimeters. As a religious painting, it belongs to the surrealist art movement and forms part of the “Song of Songs” series.
The artwork displays Chagall’s distinctive, dream-like style, combining vibrant colors, fantastical scenes, and religious iconography. It is characterized by a fluid intermingling of figures and shapes that disregard the laws of gravity and proportion, much like much of Chagall’s oeuvre. A dominant motif in warm red tones encompasses much of the composition, creating an ethereal, almost otherworldly atmosphere. Various figures, possibly alluding to characters or symbolic elements from the biblical “Song of Songs,” float throughout the scene, including what appears to be a couple embracing near the center. The couple is enveloped by a circular form, which, along with other floating figures and a charming depiction of a village at the bottom, adds to the narrative mystique of the artwork. A blue horse near the lower left corner and an array of unusual juxtapositions give the impression of a dream or a divine revelation, encapsulating the spiritual and romantic themes typically associated with the “Song of Songs.”
