The artwork entitled “The Creation of Man,” created by Marc Chagall around 1958 in France, is a piece that is classified within the Naïve Art movement, specifically Primitivism. Completed using pastel on paper, the artwork measures approximately 49.7 cm in height by 33.1 cm in width and is defined as a sketch and study.
The artwork exhibits a series of loose, expressive lines and forms that interact across the paper in a dynamic composition. At a glance, one can discern the outline of various elements that lend themselves to an interpretation of a narrative, which seems to loosely reference the theme of creation. There is a central spiraling form that might suggest the idea of a burgeoning universe or the stirrings of life. Figures, possibly human or angelic, emerge and recline amid the swirls and organic forms, evoking the hand of a creator shaping beings or a cosmos with ethereal grace.
Due to the sketchy and spontaneous nature of the strokes, the figures remain somewhat ambiguous, leaving much to the imagination and interpretation of the viewer. This work serves as a testament to Chagall’s distinctive artistic style, which frequently embraced a dream-like quality full of symbolism.
